“I think most parents would have assumed the same,” Jayna said gently. “The possibility that their son was becoming a werewolf isn’t something most people would ever think to worry about.”
Bree snorted, a sound halfway between a laugh and a sob. “Yet, here we are. Which I suppose begs the question—how did this happen? Diego told me Brandon’s a werewolf, and since he showed us his claws and fangs, I guess that means he’s one, too. He told us that the other members of his…pack…are alpha werewolves like the three of you. He made it sound so simple, but he never said how any of this is possible. I mean, if Brandon had been bitten by a werewolf, wouldn’t I know? Even if he obviously tells me nothing about what’s going on in his life, am I really that clueless about what’s been happening to my son?”
Diego didn’t know he’d reached out to take her hand until he felt the warm, soft skin under his fingers. He half expected her to pull her away. Instead she squeezed his hand tightly.
“Turning into a werewolf doesn’t work the same way in real life that it does in the movies, Bree. A bite won’t do it,” Gage said from the other side of the table. “Some people are born with a little something extra in their DNA, and when they go through a traumatic event, the rush of adrenaline and cortisol flips the gene, turning them into a werewolf.”
Bree’s eyes went wide, her grip on Diego’s hand tightening. “It happened when Brandon got shot, didn’t it?”
“Yes,” Gage said. “If he didn’t have the gene, he probably would have died.”
Bree’s expression was thoughtful, and she looked like she might say something else, but Brandon spoke first.
“Did something like what happened to me happen to you guys and the other werewolves on the SWAT team?”
Jayna nodded. “My change was triggered when I got assaulted. Gage was injured in combat, and Diego was shot in the line of duty.”
Brandon leaned forward, his eyes suddenly lighting up. “I got shot like Diego. Does that mean I’m an alpha, too?”
Gage gave him a small smile. “What kind of werewolf you become depends on what you were doing when the traumatic event that turned you happened.”
Meaning that if a person turned while they were risking their life for someone else, they became an alpha, like Diego. If not, then you turned into a beta, like Brandon.
“Okay,” Brandon said. “So, what am I?”
“You’re a beta,” Gage answered.
“How do you know? I didn’t tell you what I was doing or where I was when I got shot.”
“We can tell what kind of a werewolf you are by your scent,” Jayna said.
“Are you sure?” Brandon asked, disappointment clear on his face. “Maybe after I get older?”
“Nope,” Jayna said. “You’re definitely a beta.”
“Is being a beta a bad thing?” Bree asked, a little of that earlier panic back in her voice. “Should I be worried?”
Jayna shook her head, lips curving into a smile. “No and no. Betas might not be as big or strong or as aggressive as alphas, but their true strength isn’t in what they can physically do. It’s in their ability to form tight pack bonds. Nothing ever comes between a beta and their pack. No werewolf—even an alpha—would try to take on a beta in a fight because that would mean going up against his or her entire pack.”
Brandon considered that for a long time. “So, I’ll be part of a pack that close?” he asked hopefully.
“Yup,” Jayna said. “Once you meet the alpha you’re meant to be with, everything will fall into place like the pieces of a puzzle.”
“How will I know when I meet him?” Brandon asked.
Jayna’s gaze went from Brandon to Diego and back again. “You’ll know.”
Brandon nodded, but still looked a little unsure.
“Actually,” Diego said, looking at Jayna, “I was thinking Brandon could meet your pack. Being around some other betas will be good for him.”
Jayna nodded. “Everly’s baby shower is this Saturday. Everyone will be there, and I can’t imagine a better time for Brandon to get to know them.”
Brandon looked at his mother expectantly. “Can we?”
“I don’t know, honey. I wouldn’t want to intrude.”
Gage chuckled. “You never need to worry about that. You’re part of our extended family now. Besides, there are going to be nearly fifty people there already. Everly and Cooper won’t mind.”
Brandon grinned. “Come on, Mom. You have to say yes.”
She laughed. “Okay, okay. We’ll go.”
Diego relaxed back in his chair. Damn, he’d been as eager for Bree to agree as Brandon was.
“Excellent!” Jayna said, smiling at Brandon. “What do you say we go for a walk around the compound? I may be an alpha now, but I remember being a new beta werewolf and how confusing everything was. I could give you some pointers.”
Brandon was half out of his chair before he remembered he should probably check with his mother. Bree let out another laugh.
“Go ahead.”
No sooner were Brandon and Jayna out the door than Gage announced he had some work to do in the training building, leaving Diego alone with Bree.
She chewed on her bottom lip thoughtfully before turning her head to gaze at him. Damn, she had beautiful eyes. “If beta werewolves bond as tightly as Gage said, will Brandon go off and live with his alpha when they find each other? Please be honest. Am I going to lose my son?”
The pain in Bree’s voice tore at him, and yet Diego hesitated. That question was more complicated than it sounded. Jayna had been right when she’d talked about how tight betas became when they bonded with members of their pack. It was next-level stuff.
“When Brandon meets the werewolves he’s supposed to bond with, they will be close, but their pack bond will never replace the love a child has for their mother,” Diego said gently. “I’ve been a werewolf for eight years, and I see my mom at least once a week.”
Bree visibly relaxed, a small smile curving the corners of her lips. “Your parents live in Dallas then?”
He nodded. “My brother and two sisters live in the area, too. We all get together at my mom and stepdad’s a few times a month for dinner.”
“That’s awesome.” Her smile broadened. “My sister, Beth, lives with us. She moved in after the divorce to help out with Brandon while I went to work. I couldn’t imagine what I’d do if she ever moved back East where the rest of our family lives.”