Chapter 293 Chapter 293
He locked the gate and then jumped back into the cab. “It’s about a half-hour now.” He closed the door, “I made the road into my place really hard to find and navigate.” He looked at her, trying to gauge how she felt about the truck. “Sorry about the ride, she’s not pretty, but she drives through all seasons without a problem.”
She grinned at him, “it reminds me of a truck Walker had, my father hated it, but he was determined to keep it and fix it up.” She frowned, “then his responsibilities to the clan overcame his dreams.”
“Walker is which brother?”
“The youngest brother, so no need to be trained to lead.” She said as she looked out the window.
“He’s the one you messaged.”
“Yes, he and I are close,” she looked over at him, “closer than my parents realize. He’s my secret weapon with my dad.”
“How’s that?” She looked so proud when she spoke of her family. She might hate the restrictions of it, but there was love there.
She shrugged, “he’s on my side, but they don’t know that.” She grinned, “he arranged self-defense lessons for me, while my mother was more focused on prepping me to be a pretty showpiece for the Alpha family.”
He looked her up and down, then turned back to the uneven trail leading them in the roundabout way to his property. “No training required there,” he glanced at her, “the pretty part.”
Her smile was slow, her cheeks flushed enough he could see them in the low light. “Thank you but prim and proper is just not in my genetic makeup, that’s what Walker says.” She smirked, “he says I was meant to kickass and look beautiful while doing it.”
Deacon liked this brother; a lot more than he ever did Nox. “He’s right.”
“What is your family like Deacon?”
He wished now that he had a toothpick already in his mouth, getting one would look like he was stalling, but he needed to clinch one in his teeth. “I, uh,” great start, “I don’t think I have any.” That sounded flippant, but it was the truth.
“Oh?”
He chanced a glance at her and was surprised to see such compassion it made him feel like he was in the spotlight. He turned back to watch the rough trail. “Yeah, my mother was from South America.” He couldn’t look at her. It was best that she knew now, it cemented what he already felt was going to be the final reason why they, as mates were never going to happen. “She came over with some clan members,” he shrugged, “but she died when I was a baby, so her friend raised me.” He focused, trying to keep his eyes on the road. “My dad, I sort of remember him, not clearly, he, uh died when I was five, I think.” He nodded.
“I’m so sorry, that you lost them.” She said quietly. “Was your dad from South America too?”
Deacon shook his head. “No, he was from here.”
“Have you never tried to find out if you have family out there?” She was genuinely interested. That was a first, the few in his life he’d told had no interest in details, beyond the fact that he had no clan to claim as his own.
“No. I mean, I may have thought about it once,” he did look at her, and it meant a lot that she didn’t have a judgemental look on her face, “I’m sure Calum knows, but I’ve never asked, and he won’t share unless I do.” He jerked his head back just in time to follow the turn on his trail of deterring obstacles.
“Calum would know?”
He nodded and gripped the steering wheel tighter as the path angled toward the hill. “Yeah, before I could work for the Alliance and be part of the team, he would have had to make sure I didn’t come from a long line of anarchists I’d imagine.”
“That makes sense.” She was quiet for a moment, “my brother, Walker could probably find out if you wanted. He works in the clan offices and has access to a lot.” She waved her hand around, “I’m not trying to be intrusive, just if you know your father’s last name, you could find out. Who knows you might have family somewhere?”
“It’s Parrish. My last name was my father’s.” He wanted to look at her, but unless he stopped the truck, not keeping his eyes on the trail ahead could find them crash into a large tree. “I don’t know if I want to. I mean, what would I say, ‘hey, I’m your long-lost whatever relation, my father left your clan a long time ago.”
“Your father had a clan?” Her tone was quiet, “I thought he was just a—”
“Rogue, like I am?” He finished for her, “no, from what my mother’s friend told me he left the clan for my mother, so I’m pretty sure that would make him an outcast, and the welcome I’d receive would be,” he chanced a quick look at her, “not very welcoming.”
“What type of clan was he from? Some of them are pretty open-minded now.”
Deacon hoped if he answered, then she wouldn’t start asking about his mother or what he was. “Fox.” He said as he turned the last corner in his hideaway trail.
“Oh.” Her tone had changed completely. “Yeah, the fox clans here aren’t very liberal at all.” She touched his arm, “I’m sorry for grilling you for information.”
Deacon looked down at her hand, it was warm against his skin. “It’s okay, it’s just how it is, right?”
She pulled her hand back. “I suppose it is.” She leaned forward, placing both hands on the dash. “Oh, Deacon, this is spot is so amazing.” She turned and grinned at him, “that,” she pointed, “is your house?”
He nodded, not wanting her to be disappointed in it.
“I barely saw it until we were this close.” She chuckled, “It blends in with the trees around it.” She undid her seat belt like an excited child would be unable to wait.
“I like being able to see, without being seen.” He said, not even sure what was going on by her reaction.
“I get it now.” She opened the door as he stopped, “disappearing and surviving.” She nodded and hopped out of the truck.
Deacon put it in park and got out quickly, he scented the area for anything that didn’t belong, there was nothing and no one nearby. “We’ll just leave most of the supplies in the truck so we’re ready to go if Illias gets in touch with us.”
Giana just nodded as she looked all around. “It is so peaceful here.”