POV Jack
I pulled up to the palace gates with Cody strapped in his car seat behind me. The guards bowed their heads as they recognized my vehicle, pushing the massive iron gates open without a word. My wolf stirred beneath my skin, uneasy about returning home. I had made myself clear over the phone. No arranged mating. No blind dates with daughters of allied packs. I would come to dinner and tell them face to face so they would stop filling some poor girl's head with false hope.
Cody pressed his face against the window as we drove through the grounds. At four years old, he had never seen the royal estate. I had kept him away from pack politics, from the weight of being an alpha heir's son. But tonight, that would change.
I parked in the circular drive and unbuckled Cody, lifting him into my arms. His dark hair was cut exactly like mine, short on the sides with length on top. We were dressed alike too, plain shirts and dark pants. I made sure everything I ordered now came in matching sizes.
His amber eyes went wide as he took in the palace. Lights blazed from every window. Guards in formal uniforms stood at attention along the entrance. The scent of wolfsbane flowers drifted from the gardens, mixed with pine and earth.
"Dad, is this a palace?" Cody's small voice held wonder.
I kissed his chubby cheek. "No, son. This is your grandparents' house. It's not a palace, but you can call it that if you want."
He nodded solemnly, still staring. I felt the eyes of every guard and servant on us as we approached the entrance. They would all know by morning that the eldest prince had a son. The palace staff thrived on gossip.
"Welcome, eldest master. Welcome, youngest master." The head steward opened the door, bowing deeply.
I gave him a curt nod and walked inside. I rarely smiled or spoke unless necessary. Most people found me cold. They were not wrong.
My father stood in the entrance hall. King Henry of the Northern Pack had steel gray hair and a build that still commanded respect despite his age. His eyes found mine first, then dropped to Cody. I set my son on his feet.
Cody forgot himself entirely. His mouth fell open as he gazed at the grand hall. The chandelier above us was pure crystal, catching the light and throwing rainbows across marble floors. Gold trim lined the doorways. Everything gleamed.
I touched his shoulder. "Say hello to your grandfather."
Cody looked up at me, then at my father. Before the boy could speak, my father crossed the space between them and lifted Cody off the ground.
"My grandson." His voice cracked. He kissed Cody's forehead, and I saw something I had not seen in years. My father smiled. Really smiled.
"Oh my days!" My mother swept into the hall, her silver blonde hair pulled back from her face. Luna Amelia had the grace that came with decades of ruling beside my father. She took Cody from him and held him close, running her fingers through his hair. She sat on the nearby settee, settling Cody on her lap.
"I told you there was a member of this family you had not met yet. Here he is. Cody Hudson." My younger brother John strolled in from the dining hall, eating a slice of apple pie. He grinned at me.
Mother had asked him to stay for dinner since I was coming. A family meal, she had said.
"You were right, John. He's so handsome." Mother kissed Cody's temple.
"He takes after me," John said.
I glared at him.
"He is the boy from the internet," Mother said suddenly, looking at John. "He is your son, yes?"
My father squinted at me instead. "He looks more like Jack. Whose son is he?"
John and I exchanged glances. Neither of us answered.
"Are you my grandma?" Cody asked, tilting his head up at Mother.
Her face transformed. Pure joy. "Yes, honey. I am your grandma."
"And I am your grandfather," Father said, looking at Mother. "You should introduce me as his grandfather too."
"He must know me as his grandma first before meeting you as his grandfather." Mother's eyes sparkled with mischief.
"Oh, come now, Amelia. He was my grandson before he became yours. Can you not see that he looks like me the most?" Father took Cody from her arms.
I watched them argue over my son, feeling something in my chest loosen. John caught my eye and we both smiled. Our parents bickered like this often. It was oddly comforting.
"Dinner, boys." Mother stood, gesturing toward the dining hall.
Father carried Cody to the table himself. The servants began bringing out dishes, but Mother waved them away from Cody, filling his plate herself with portions she deemed appropriate.
"You need nutritious meals to grow strong," she told him. "To grow into your wolf when the time comes."
Cody ate eagerly at first, then slowed. Mother ordered dessert for him.
"Daddy, I need to use the bathroom." Cody looked at me.
Daddy. The word hung in the air.
Mother's head snapped toward me.