A/N: NOT EDITED. This is short but I'm not feeling too well... so be patient.

THERE IS NO INCEST IN THIS STORY! VIVIAN/MYLES ARE biologically Etta's sister/brother, but when their father died Etta was all they had.

Zane and Vivian are not blood related!

Chapter 25 [Outtake] - Aftermath (Kaden POV)

Late, long after all my youngest children had gone to bed, Cain, my grandfather, Father and I were outside, deflating the blow up water park the children had spent nearly the whole day on. "I can't believe this is who you are now," Cain said his voice high and disbelieving.

"I mean - it's not a bad thing, but I thought you were out chasing tail-"

"When have I ever chased it?" he laughs at my interruption.

"You know what I'm trying to say, I mean you - this seems like routine for you..." it's a dig at my father, or at least I determine that it is. He loved us all I think, but the only child in his eyes that was worthy of his attention, of the importance to follow him around was Jace. While my grandfather - Elias - he really was the one that spent any sort of time with us.

"I left that first time and I could hear Etta calling me, pleading with me to find her so I did... I wasn't - I had no idea that she was who was calling me or how closely connected she and I were already, our history but she was a breath of fresh air, she didn't tell me right away that Ree and Morgan were my children, or that she knew who I was when I came-" I stop abruptly, not ready or sure I'm in the position to tell my family about my alter identity as Reese Morgan. Not just yet.

"So you basically got a second chance," Elias finished for me.

Nodding I rolled the large slide folding it for use next time, "Why didn't you just come back, bring Etta with you?" my father asked and I had to wonder if all the sun had gone to his head.

"I was enamored with Etta, I had my life here with her, she was part of this pack, she and my children were more important than a family that beat me because of someone that had done all this to herself. It was one thing if we didn't have the past we had, but for Lana and Jace to not hurt Victoria, they had this camaraderie where I was the bad guy in all this. But Lana knew I was her mate, I mean even Zane knows that my Vivian is his mate..."

"And Etta, she's special, forgiving and kind. You all would've ripped her apart and I couldn't let that happen, not that I would need to defend her, she is scrappy... but uhm... I saw no need to come home when home was with her and then we found Sawyer and Tristan, and they had their family and it really didn't make sense at all for us to come back when I had my own pack now... one much stronger than the families," Cain snorts, but I don't take the bait.

When we finish, late. Nearly eleven at night, everything packed away, I lead everyone to the house, the basement - my man cave the four of us playing pool and have a few cold drinks. We've played two games when I see David leading Jace down the stairs. "Now you're stealing my pack members? Telling me to reject my mate isn't enough? Do you know we could both die if we rejected each other now? After we've been marked and mated?" I sigh because just like that my good night has gone to shit with his questions.

"Do you ever take responsibility for anything you do?" I ask Jace but then turn to my father, "In all that time you spent molding him, you didn't cover that?"

"Don't bring all your anger and past grudges into this Kaden, you know that the best thing for us to do is to merge, Zane being mates with Vivian would be the best connector, she could join our pack, and forge our alliance." I put my pool stick against the wall, before I used it to beat some sense into Jace.

"Alliance?" the word is bitter in my mouth. "You can't even keep your pack safe, you think I'm going to trust you with my daughter?"

"She's not really your daughter though, is she Kaden-"

"Jace!" My father snaps but still lowers his head in submission, as he is no longer the ruling Alpha. "I don't want nor do I need your alliance Jace, remember your place in all this, if you think you're perfectly capable of not having all your followers killed and kept safe, get gone."

"I'm not below you, or even at the same level as you, I'm above you Jace - and if all you got from that speech hours ago was that you should reject Vicki than you're even more foolish than I assumed. I didn't steal Zane he found his mate in my pack, my daughter, in my pack. He wants to have his mate; he wants to show he's going to be committed to his mate-" I stop when something flashes in his eyes, jealously and my head is hung back, while loud guffaws are released.

"You're jealous of your own brother? Of Zane?" I snort.

"Jesus you and Lana are quite the pair," I say shaking my head, "I'm not stealing your pack members, but maybe they know a sinking ship when they see one, Jace." I lean over hitting the solid ball into the left upper corner pocket continuing my game.

My father, Cain, Elias and I finish our game, and after they take their leave, while David sits in the corner, and Jace watches with a sullen pout, "What are you doing here Jace?" I ask not out of curiosity.

"We can't reject each other, but Vicki wants to take a break, I'd give her just about anything now, but she isn't interested like before," he mumbles five empty bottles of corona near his foot. "Right because what women want are pity children?" his eyes flash up to mine angrily. "I'm not apologizing for telling you the truth Jace, up until she acted, your head was secretly so far up Lana's ass that you couldn't be bothered to see Jace and I'd hope you were smart enough to not offer to have children with Vicki just after she did all this..." I wasn't the most romantic person but that'd be like adding insult to injury.

"You don't think she's entitled to some reprieve from this shitstorm?" I mean he couldn't be serious right now, not when... "Jace, I don't know what to tell you-"

"I'm the one that should have this life you're living," he mutters shaking his head. My head whipped over to David, and I just lifted a brow. "You spent all day with your children, and others running around and you never even wanted children when you were growing up," I had to blink because there was no words. I couldn't find a response to all this stupidity. "Get him out of my house," I said monotone to David, shaking my head and leaving Jace alone, I climb the stairs heading to my woman. Showering the days grime away, I stand at the foot of my bed, looking at Etta, her hair wild against the pillows, her face serene and lips parted.

I knew how lucky I was, but I couldn't understand why Jace would offer to have children after Vicki took her own life. Even after we had found Sawyer and Tristan, already had children, Etta and I didn't race to have Emerson. We waited five years, making sure our marriage, our partnership was solid, we already had children... yes.

Still, we didn't just want to add children when we weren't on the same page of the same book.

We also wanted to make sure we gave each child the adequate love and attention, offering to have a child to fix deeper larger mistakes. Having children, that wasn't the right answer. But really I didn't want to get in the middle of all of this.

Needing my Etta, I slipped into the bed, getting her close and pulling her to me. Shifting until her head was on my chest, a small smile playing at her lips, I finally closed my eyes.

- - - - - - - - - -

© 2015 new_season All Rights Reserved

Hey everyone so If you're reading 'Loving Ashlynn,' you already know that I had my final wisdom tooth out which is why I've been a little flakey with updates. The meds are so strong that I'm sleepy when I'm not really sleepy.

My head feels like a huge bowling ball, heavy and it's not pleasant.

I know you guys are eager and ready for me to update quickly but right now, I'm just not able to update as quickly as normal. Plus, to be honest, I was trying to place what has to happen next before the Fourth Book of the Unexpected Series, but the story that I found the words for easiest was 'Loving Ashlynn,' therefore I've updated that story a bit more...

Check that story out while you're waiting for this one to update... or maybe reread this one... IDK, but I will try to type more for this story as well but please be patient.

thanks,

roxann.