Page 16 of Awakening the Beast
“You did exactly what I would have fucking wanted you to do, bro. You saved my girls.” I reassure him.
As the words leave my mouth, I watch the tension drain from his shoulders and he steps back, wiping the tears from his reddened eyes with the back of his tattooed hand, struggling to pull himself together. I stand there, expressionless, letting him have his moment.
My gaze shifts calmly to my mother as she steps out from behind Jasper, a suitcase in hand containing my belongings. I take it from her, raising my chin in thanks. She offers a slight smile, her eyes soft with understanding.
“Do you want us to take you to see Cree?” she asks.
I stand tall, taking a deep breath, then give a small shake of my head. “It's best if I do this alone. I don't want him overloaded.”She nods, and I continue, “I’ll give you a call when Wren is ready for visitors.”
She nods again, and my focus shifts to Jasper. “You need to tell Lily about my return so she can tell her parents.”
When I say that, my eyes flick to my mom when I notice her give a subtle shake of her head, signalling that Jasper is still in the dark about Ghost being Wren's father—a truth I’d prefer to keep under wraps for now. The only reason I told my mom was because she’d met Ghost before, and she would have pieced it together at some family event in the future. Her reaction was one of sheer shock, just as mine had been when I first found out the truth.
My gaze locks onto Jasper’s as he stares at me, clearly absorbing my words. “I don't need them staring at me like I'm a fucking ghost. They need to be prepared before visiting Wren and Lumi.”
My mother’s voice draws my focus as she asks, “Is that her given name?”
I nod slightly, “Lumi Bridget Hayes.”
A soft smile touches her lips, and Jasper extends his hand, capturing my attention once again. “Congratulations. We have a lot to catch up on when you’re ready.”
I grip his hand firmly, shaking it as I gesture toward the door behind them. “Thanks for stopping by, but now get the fuck out so I can get dressed.”
Jasper laughs, shaking his head as he lets go of my hand. My mom steps forward, giving me a gentle kiss on the cheek beforewhispering into my ear, “Let us know if you need anything; there's a brand-new phone in your suitcase. It’s good to have you back, son.”
I give her a small, wordless nod as she pulls away, and I watch silently as they leave, the weight of everything slowly settling around me.
After loading everything into the trunk, I slide into the driver’s seat and start the car, the engine humming to life as I pull away from the house. My thoughts drift to Cree as I drive toward Sara’s place. I hope I don’t shock the life out of him when I walk through that fucking door. Wren’s reaction was something else—she literally thought I was a fucking ghost, or that she was trapped in some nightmare. It threw me the fuck off, but I get it.
Now that I’m on my way to spend some long-overdue time with my family, there’s a darker part of my mind that can’t help but turn to the aftermaths of everything that’s happened. The people who fucked us over as a family—they’re going to pay. They have to. But how the hell do I tell Wren that her dad could’ve been the reason I almost died that night in Mexico? She doesn’t even know who her father really is, but there’s no doubt in my mind that Ghost is already aware I’m back, even if Jasper hasn’t told Lily yet.
That night haunts me. I remember being dragged out of that burning mansion by two masked, armored men. Everything elseis a fucking blur, but I do remember those masks—they had the Ghost logo. The same damn logo that popped up on my phone the night I killed my father. Coincidence? I fucking doubt it. What I can’t wrap my head around is why one minute he saved me, and the next, he was leaving me for dead. What the fuck changed so quickly?
If Ghost really had anything to do with it, this is going to start a fucking war—a war I’ll have to bring to Wren’s attention soon. She’s in the Elite world now, and I can’t keep this from her, but for now, I need to focus on my kids and on Wren getting better. Everything else can wait.
I pull up outside Sara’s house and cut the engine, the silence in the car the complete opposite to the hurricane of feelings churning inside me. I sit there for a while, trying to brace myself for what’s coming. When I finally collect my thoughts, I step out of the car, the weight of the moment pressing down on me with every step I take toward the front door.
Instead of knocking, I just enter, closing the door softly behind me with an undetectable click. Almost immediately, I hear his little voice. I can’t help the sob that wants to build in my throat as I press my brow against the door, my eyes closed. It’s been so long since I’ve heard his voice, and it hits me just hearing how much he’s grown since I’ve been gone.
I turn around, lingering in the hallway for a moment, my heart pounding in my chest, until the sound of small footsteps echoes across the marble, growing louder, closer. My body tenses as I keep my gaze fixed on where they’re coming from.
When I finally see him, my entire world narrows to that one moment. He freezes the instant his wide gaze meets mine, like he’s looking right through me—just as I expected. My own eyes well up as I take him in, seeing how much he’s changed, how much I’ve fucking missed. When our eyes lock again, I soften, the overwhelming emotion almost too much to bear. Slowly, I squat down, lifting my sweatpants as I motion for him to come to me with my hand.
For a second, he just stares, holding his breath. Then, like a dam breaking, he runs at me full speed, launching himself into my arms. The impact nearly knocks me off balance, but I hold him tight, squeezing my eyes shut as he weeps into my shoulder. A tear escapes me, tracing a path down my cheek as I clutch him tightly, my heart aching with pain, relief, and love that I can hardly hold.
“It's alright, Cree. I'm back.” I whisper into his ear, thick with emotion as I rub the back of his curly hair with my palm. His small body trembles against mine, and I turn my face to press a soft kiss on his cheek, then lean in, resting my brow against the side of his head, “I missed you so much, son.”
His brown, tear-filled gaze meet mine as he pulls back slightly, his expression full of innocent confusion. “Wre... Wren told me you were in heaven. Did you go to see Mommy?” He stutters, and searches my eyes, desperate for answers.
I feel a pang of guilt and sadness, knowing how hard this must be for him, and I keep my voice gentle but honest as I reply, “No, Cree, I wasn't in heaven. Sadly, no one ever returns from heaven.” I say, hoping to comfort him with the truth.
He tilts his head, still confused. “So, why did Wren say you were?”
I gently wipe away the tears from his cheeks with my thumbs, my heart breaking for him. “Because Wren thought I was,” I explain, trying to keep it as simple as possible for him.
“So, tell me, where were you, daddy?”
I pause, searching for the right words, not wanting to load him with too much but also wanting to be truthful. “I was very far away and couldn't get back home,” I respond finally, hoping that the explanation will be enough for now.
