Cole's Redemption (Alpha Pack #5)(72)

Zan squeezed her hand in reassurance and then stepped forward so that the bulk of his body was slightly in front of hers as the car stopped. She would’ve smiled at the unconscious protective move, but she was too nervous.

How would she feel when she met him again, knowing what he’d done? Something Ryon had told her a while back whispered in her mind.

Sometimes there are explanations for things we don’t understand at first, things that seem unforgivable. You might want to remember that.

Now she knew the explanation. And she knew she could forgive.

Under the outdoor lighting, she had no problem making out her uncle and Taggart as they got out of the car. Closing the doors, the two men approached and then stopped a few feet from her and Zan, eyeing them with somewhat wary expressions.

“Uncle Damien. Tag.” Her greeting was equally reserved.

Damien’s eyes softened. “I’m sorry,” he said quietly. “For everything.”

“You should be.” Harsh, but true.

“I did what I thought best at the time. I can see now that I should’ve handled things differently.”

“It’s done now. I didn’t ask you here to make you grovel to Dad or me.”

“Why did you invite us?” Tag asked, studying Zan with open dislike.

“Healing.” She took a deep breath. “I want us all to be a family.”

“That’s going to depend on Nick,” her uncle said.

“I’m so glad I get a say in things.”

Selene’s heart stuttered. She turned to see her father standing just behind her and Zan, his body tense and still. Eyes shuttered. He watched Damien like the lethal predator he was, ready to spring at the slightest provocation. Stepping from Zan’s protective presence, she went to Nick and drew him forward.

“I invited them here because there are things that need saying between you two. You need closure, and unless I’m way off base, you need your brother.”

Smoldering anger crept into his face as he glared at Damien. “I needed my brother twenty years ago, when I was grieving for the mate I lost. I needed him when my heart was broken, and he turned his back on me.”

Damien took a step closer. “I’m standing right here, Nick. I only did what I thought—”

Not waiting to hear another word, Nick closed the remaining distance and delivered a powerful punch to Damien’s jaw that sent the other man reeling backward to land on his ass on the asphalt.

“Fuck what you thought!” Nick roared, every muscle in his neck standing out as he loomed over his brother. “Fuck your uptight rules and the clan! Fuck you for kicking me when I was down. Fuck you!”

Oh, God! She hadn’t even realized she was moving to get between them until she felt her mate’s arms around her, holding her back.

“Let them sort this out,” her mate whispered in her ear. “It’ll be all right.”

“Nick—” Damien began.

“I made a mistake and I paid for it.” His voice cracked, filled with anguish. “But you had to punish me more. Did it occur to you to reach out to me and Selene, to help us get past our grief as a family, to be there for us? Instead, you took my baby! You took her from me and I had nothing left. Nothing.”

That last word was spoken as a hoarse whisper, and Nick’s rage suddenly deflated. He looked . . . defeated. Older. More silver had crept into his black hair since the ordeal with Darrow, and he appeared haunted all the time. The hopeless expression on his face, his entire demeanor, scared her.

This was why she’d called Damien. Her dad needed help.

Damien must’ve seen the same thing in him, because he met Selene’s gaze briefly. Nodded. Then he pushed himself to his feet, ignoring Tag’s outstretched hand, and stepped up to Nick again. Took a chance.

“I can’t erase the years I took from you and Selene,” he said, his tone laced with sincere regret. “But I can offer a new beginning. I’d like to see us all put the past behind us, start over, and find our way as a family. Would you be willing to try? Can you accept me back into your life?”

Selene held her breath. Long moments ticked by as they waited for another explosion.

But it didn’t come. Instead, Nick met Damien’s gaze, his eyes moist. “It won’t be easy.”

“But you’d like to try?” The hope there was almost painful to see.

“Yes.”

Just that one word. But it was enough.

Taking a big chance, Damien wrapped his brother in a strong embrace—and slowly, Nick’s arms came around him. Tears rolled down Selene’s face as she watched him take that first tenuous step to reconciliation. No, it wouldn’t be easy for them, but it was a start.

As they drew back, Selene cleared her throat. “Well, since it seems there won’t be bloodshed, I’d like to introduce someone. Uncle Damien, Taggart, this is my mate, Zander Cole. Zan, my uncle and my friend Tag.”

Zan shook hands with both men and offered them a smile. Tag’s answering greeting wasn’t quite as enthusiastic, but he appeared to accept Zan’s place in Selene’s life as he shot her a glance of resignation and then took Zan’s hand.

“Good to meet you both,” Zan said. “Hey, I smell some burgers cooking. Anybody hungry?”

There was a general consensus that eating sounded good, and Zan skillfully led Damien and Tag toward the party. Talk to your father, he encouraged through their bond. We’ll be fine.