My head was spinning as I built a mental family tree, trying to piece together the puzzle as my father spoke.
“My grandfather was an elder. He was at the meeting when Allen Caldwell first mentioned a chance for the younger members of our Pack to be part of an undercover military operation called Moonlight.”
Fuck. Sebastian had mentioned Moonlight to Lana. I tried to sort out all the new info swimming around in my head. “So Allen Caldwell was your Alpha?”
Malcolm nodded and clasped his hands together, wringing them slightly. “Yes. And I volunteered for the project.”
I ran my hand down my face trying to keep from saying something I couldn’t take back. “You worked for the Nero Organization?”
“It was called the Nero Project then. The man in charge was named Severino. I’m not sure if that was his first name or last name.” He paused rubbing his chin for a moment, then shook his head. “Anyway, Severino procured a government grant to investigate paranormal solutions to foreign hostilities. Allen told us that Severino knew we had extra-sensory abilities and that during the full moon we actually changed from men into wolves. He presented it to us that we could be an asset to our country.” He sighed and met my eyes. “I was young and resented being different. So I convinced my Pack brothers—Dominic, Nicholas, and Wyatt—to come with me to volunteer as part of the Moonlight Operation for the Nero Project.”
My father and our Pack elders had known about Nero all along. They’d kept this secret from us while we hunted jaguars. No one had ever mentioned Nero to me until Lana ran into Sebastian.
Malcolm went silent again, but with the afternoon sun getting lower in the sky I nudged him out of his thoughts. “What happened once you got there?”
“They separated us.” His gaze met mine, and I saw shadows of pain lurking in the gray-green depths of his eyes. He took a deep breath, opening his hands. “They wanted us to be assassins for our government, trained mercenaries who could infiltrate foreign governments and take out leaders who were deemed madmen. But they wanted us to work alone.”
“So you quit?”
“We escaped. “ Malcolm shook his sliver mane and got up from the chair. “Our strength is working as a unit. Family and the Pack are always the top priority. It went against every instinct inside of us to work alone. We tried to explain it to Severino, but he still refused, and instead of allowing us to train together, he dumped us into cells. For three months we were nothing but lab rats. He tried to suppress our changes during the full moon and used shock therapy in an attempt to force us to turn on one another.”
His eyes shone with emotion as he steepled his fingers. “When the sky was dark on the night of the new moon, he tossed us out on the grounds while he shifted into a jaguar and hunted us. His motto was ‘trust no one, least of all your best friend.’”
Malcolm got up and walked over to the window again. “So we waited for the next full moon, hiding their drugs under our tongues, and doing whatever was necessary to keep our minds sharp. Once the moon was full, we shifted and broke free from our cells. When we got back to the Pack, Severino was already meeting with Allen, explaining to him that our kind didn’t suit his purpose, that we were weak. I was furious and tried to explain what that madman put us through, but Allen had more loyalty to Severino than to us. The following evening he banished us from the Pack.” He paused. “That’s when I became Alpha of our new Pack and we settled in Reno.”
My mouth was dry. I raked my fingers back through my hair and went to stand beside my father, this man I apparently knew so little about. “So all this time, when the Pack has been hunting jaguars, you and the elders knew they were being sent by Nero?”
He shrugged. “We suspected, but none of us had heard any mention of Nero since we’d escaped. It was a simple leap for me and the Pack elders to believe the project was abandoned once we were gone. Besides, those jaguars behaved like drifters, trouble-makers, not trained assassins.”
“Could the jaguars that come through Reno every few months be looking for you?” I turned to face him, waiting for an answer.
Malcolm lifted his gaze to meet mine. “I don’t think so. We would have told you if we believed any of us were specifically being targeted.”
I took a deep breath. “I guess I’d better tell you the rest of my news then.”
“There’s more?” He turned to face me.
“There’s also a female jaguar who has threatened to come after me once the moon is full tonight.”
He frowned and shook his head. “Why would they send a female? They’re not born into their power. They’d never be strong enough.”
“This one is.” Just looking at Aren would prove that, but I kept that information away from my father. “I think she used to be in law enforcement before she was turned.”
He nodded. “Does she have a mate then? Is he the one who killed Gabe?”
“He’s the one who bit her, but I don’t think they’re mates. She beat the crap out of him in San Antonio.”
Oh shit…
His brow furrowed, and I knew he’d noticed. “San Antonio? What were you doing there?”
“I’m not sure you want to know.” Could I lie to my father, my Alpha, right to his face? This was different than promising a lady in a bar that I’d call her. I wasn’t sure I was a good enough liar to sell it to Malcolm.
I wasn’t sure anyone was that good a liar.
“I know you’ve been keeping secrets, Adam, and I’d like to know why.”
“You’re one to talk.” The shadows were lengthening outside. “It’s not important right now. The Pack will be here soon, and we need to warn everyone about the jaguars.”
“I shared my secrets.” Malcolm leaned against the table. “Trust me with yours.”
His words sat squarely on my shoulders like a fifty-pound weight. “I can’t.” I met his eyes. “I’m sorry but… I can’t.”
He straightened to his full height, commanding my obedience on an instinctual level. I could feel his gaze boring into me. I clenched my fists and met his eyes. “You don’t want to know this. Let it go.”
A crease marred his brow. “What could be worse than Nero still being in existence and sending operatives into our city?”
My hands were sweating and the wolf inside me ached to please our Alpha. I wouldn’t last much longer. I started for the door, but he caught my arm. “Please Adam.”
I sighed. Maybe I could just tell him the good news. “I found my mate.”
Malcolm’s eyes widened and then he smiled. I’d never seen a grin like that on my father’s face before. He looked happy, proud, and relieved all in one expression. “This was your big secret? Adam, this is wonderful news. Who is she? Why haven’t I met her yet?”
And here came the bad news. “She’s a jaguar.”
His smile vanished as soon as the words left my lips. His eyes narrowed, and he shook his head, walking away from me. “That’s impossible. You’re making a mistake, Adam.”
I shook my head, staring at his back. “She’s lots of things, but not a mistake.”
He turned toward me again, scrutinizing my face. I was pretty sure he was hoping he’d see any sign of uncertainty, but loving Lana and knowing she was my mate for life was one of the few things I was sure of.
“It can’t be,” he whispered.
“I struggled with accepting it, too, but I’ve never felt like this before. It happened exactly like you said. I looked into her eyes, and the moment I touched her skin, I felt something inside of me click. I knew. She’s my other half.”