《Alpha鈥檚 Regret-My Luna Has A Son》 Chapter 1 Chapter 1 My head spun as I looked around at my surroundings, my head was pounding, and I instantly regretted drinking so much; panic courses through me when I don¡¯t recognize my surroundings. I am in a room; the lighting in through the window was blinding as I tried to figure out where the heck I was. The last thing I remember is the annual Alpha meet-up, a costume party I attended with my family. My sister and I snuck off to meet with the other future Alphas after my father insisted I needed to get in good with, seeing as I will be the next in line and am to have the pack handed over to me at the end of the year when I turn eighteen. Yet, I have no memory ofing to this room. I groan, rubbing my eyes, praying I am seeing shit, and the alcohol burning in my system is still making me confused, except when I go to move, I be aware of the heavy arm draped over my waist. My head whips to the side, praying. It was my sister, and we had both passed out somewhere. My worst fears are realized, and I have to contain my scream of horror when I find a naked man lying beside me. He wasn¡¯t just any man but Alpha Valen of the Dark Blood Pack. This man owned half the City and is from a rival pack. My father has was going to murder me. ¡°Fuck!¡± I whisper under my breath before looking down to find myself also naked. The slight difort between my legs made me very aware that I tossed my virginity away and have absolutely no memory of it, so much for that supposed to be a magical moment. I don¡¯t even remember it. He must be a shit lay; I chuckle to myself. Of all people, it had to be the notorious Alpha and my father¡¯s biggest rival. My phone vibrating on the floor beside the bed has me almost diving off it to retrieve it; my sister¡¯s face pops up on the screen. I quickly answer it, mindful to keep my voice low, whispering into the phone. ¡°Hello¡± ¡°Where are you? Dad is going to lose it, I told him you¡¯re with me, but he has asked me toe home,¡± She shrieks through the phone. I look around before looking out the window, trying to figure out my location. Shit, I was still at the hotel where the Alpha meet was held. ¡°Still at the bank¡¯s Hotel,¡± I whisper, and she pauses, going quiet for a few moments. ¡°Oh my god, please tell me you didn¡¯t fuck Alpha dickwad¡± She whispers, knowing dad would kill me, probably dishone me if he ever found out. Alpha Valen¡¯s reputation was scandalous and terrifying. I look over at the Greek god lying in bed beside me, ultimately passed out and unaware of me standing and gawking at him. I would love to see the horror on his face when he woke up, but he just might kill me along with my father, shit they may even conspire together to make my death exceptionally horrific. ¡°No, of course not. I just fell asleep in one of the rooms here,pletely alone,¡± I lie, hoping Ava believes me. I won¡¯t get her caught up in my minor issue if dad asks her; she sucks a lying. She doesn¡¯t know she can¡¯t get in trouble because of me. ¡°Stuff it, Dad asks. Tell him you stayed with Amber and me. I will have Amber pick you up on the way, be there in five,¡± She says, hanging up. I quickly look around, scooping my clothes up off the floor and squeezing into the tight bodycon dress. I toss the stupid-ass fairy wings in the trashcan in the bathroom. Looking in the mirror, I try to fix my makeup. My face is still covered in ridiculous amounts of glitter, and the eye mask that was painted on my face by my sister still concealed half my face. I chuckle to myself, knowing the Alpha will probably wake up just as confused as me and wonder why he is covered in glitter. I vaguely remember talking to him, finding myself drawn to him for some unknown reason, but he was paralytic, which left me wondering who took advantage of who. I give him onest nce, scoop up my heels and grab my clutch before rushing to the hotel door and swinging it open, only to crash straight into Alpha Valen¡¯s Beta. I recognize him fromst night¡¯s introductions, though thankfully, he had no idea who I was as I was at the back of the room when he was introduced. I smack into his chest, and he stumbles back, staring at me. And I am thankful for the paint on my face because he may have recognized me as my father¡¯s daughter, and that is thest thing I needed. He smirks at me, clearly finding it funny that I am running from the Alpha¡¯s hotel room. ¡°My Alpha in there?¡± he asks. I drop my head hoping he doesn¡¯t recognize me, and quickly nod. Stepping past him, trying not to touch him. ¡°Are you alright, or do you need a lift home?¡± He says, making me stop. ¡°What, do you give all your Alpha¡¯s one-night stands a lift home?¡± I chuckle at him, and he smiles. ¡°Only the pretty ones,¡± He says, and I roll my eyes, waving him off before taking off to meet my sister. We needed to hurry home before my dad sent out a search party to run through Mountain view city to retrieve his daughters. *********** Three weekster One night that is all it took to throw away everything I had ever known. I felt a little under the weather, and being a werewolf, we rarely got sick. My father was the Alpha of Shadow Moon Pack, and after spending thest week sick, he had finally brought me to see the pack doctor. We lived in a City of werewolves, Mountainview City. The entire poption was werewolves, comprising of the four packs. My father¡¯s pack was the secondrgest pack, and only having two daughters and me being the eldest, I was next in line for the Alpha position. Well, until the Doctor came back and turned that dream upside down. The look of disappointment on my father¡¯s face made my heart clench. One night, one man, the biggest mistake of my life. ¡°She is pregnant,¡± Doc Darnel tells my father and me as I sit on the green chair in the Doctor¡¯s office. Doc¡¯s words horrified me; I couldn¡¯t be pregnant. I only had sex once, and I don¡¯t even remember because I was trashed. How the hell could this be happening? My father looked at me from where he sat before returning his gaze back to our pack doctor. ¡°It¡¯s wrong; rerun the test. She hasn¡¯t found her mate. She can¡¯t be pregnant,¡± My father says. I shrink back in my chair. I was only seventeen, nearly eighteen, and the number one rule all she-wolves have drummed in our heads is to save ourselves for our mates. This was a huge deal, especially to my father. This would bring shame to our family, that I would break the one sacred rule for she-wolves. Sure the men fool around, it was a little biased, yet we do, especially someone like me in a position of power, that would be frowned upon. I would be a disgrace to the family. ¡°Alpha, I have tested the urine sample twice,¡± Doc tells him, but my father shakes his head, not believing his words or not wanting to. ¡°No, test it again; it is wrong. My daughter is not a rogue whore,¡± I cringe at his words. That¡¯s what women are called who fall pregnant to someone that is not their mate, it is the worst thing to bebeled besides a traitor, yet both were treated the same. Rogue whores are forbidden on pack territories and are only allowed on neutral territory, which is the main drag of the City and the two streets behind it on either side. Our City was pretty lucky; most she- wolves in other cities that fall pregnant, are banished making them forsaken wolves. They turn feral without any pack contact and are forced to live outside the Cities sending them crazed and mad like they do with those that betray ormit treason amongst the packs. No one wants to leave the City and be on their own out there. It wasn¡¯t safe and definitely not how anyone wanted to live. Our City is different. We didn¡¯t kick women out of the City and banish them. We just made them rogues, free to go about their lives without pack help. I used to look down on those women I would see trying to make ends meet for their poor choices. Maybe this is my karma; I was soon going to be one of them. ¡°Yes, Alpha, I will test it again,¡± Doc says before rushing out of the room and away from my father¡¯s deadly re. My father starts pacing, and I feel my heart rate quicken when he stops turning to face me and staring at me. ¡°He has to be wrong; you are not like that. You wouldn¡¯t shame me this way,¡± He says, looking for confirmation. I shrink back in my chair. The Doc came back in again, stopping him from saying more. ¡°The results are the same, Alpha,¡± Doc says before looking at me with pity. I swallowed, staring wide- eyed at the Pack doctor, hoping he could save me from my father¡¯s wrath, but even I knew the elderly, greying man was no match for my father. Neither was I since I still hadn¡¯t shifted. We shift on our 18th birthdays, then we can find our mates, but being pregnant would now dy that process. Our bodies won¡¯t allow us to shift while pregnant; it is a safety mechanism to protect the unborn pup. My father growls, turning on his heel and ring at me, his fists clenched by his sides as he fights the urge to shift. I had never seen him so angry at me before, his eyes flickering ck in his anger. My father has always been so proud of my sister and me, always showing us off and telling everyone about what great daughters we are and what a great Alpha I would be when I took over the pack. I looked like him, and he raised me in his image, preparing me to take over. His dark hair, bluish-grey eyes, I got those traits from him, but right now, he looked on the verge of killing me as my face was mirrored in his ck orbs. ¡°How far along is she?¡± My father says the venom in his words makes my blood run cold. ¡°We can have a scan done next week to confirm gestation,¡± Doc tells him, and I look at my hands. N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. ¡°No, do it now so we can take care of it before it gets out. I won¡¯t have a rogue whore for a daughter. This is not to get out do you understand, Doc?¡± The Doc nods his head nervously while I am too busy staring gobsmacked at what my father just said. It was going against the moon goddess to abort a were-baby. ¡°Wait!¡± I say, finally finding my voice. My father turns to look at me, and the Doc actually moves away from him when he feels my father¡¯s Aura rush out of him. ¡°Wait for what? You aren¡¯t keeping this monstrosity, we can sweep it under the rug, no one has to know, and you can still take the Alpha position, we just need to take care of this poor choice, then things can go back to normal,¡± My father says, he made it sound so simple like this wasn¡¯t sin against the Moon Goddess. ¡°No, I won¡¯t, I can¡¯t do that, father, please, just let me speak to mum. We can work this out,¡± I pleaded with him. ¡°No, you will terminate the pregnancy, then we go home. Doc, get whatever it is you need. I am not leaving this office until this is taken care of,¡± My father says. I feel tears brimming at his words, sure I didn¡¯t want to be pregnant, but I was not a murderer; aborting a pregnancy was worse than having a child to someone who is not your mate. Directly shunning the Moon Goddess. ¡°Alpha, I am afraid if your daughter isn¡¯t willing, I can¡¯t perform such a thing unless there is a medical reason.¡± ¡°She is willing, isn¡¯t that right, Everly,¡± My father says, trying to force me to agree, but I met his gaze head-on. My mind was made up; I won¡¯t go through with it. ¡°No!¡± I tell him, not expecting his following reaction. My father had never hit me in all of my life, he had never raised a hand to me, and the shock of his action was more painful than the blow itself as his hand connected with the side of my face. I could feel the outline of his fingers etched into my cheek as a burning sensation spread across it from his palm. ¡°Then you are no longer my daughter,¡± He says. Chapter 2 Chapter 2 8 months Later Loved ones came and visited the other mothers on the ward, excitedly gushing over their new bundles of joy. Excitedly talking about their new additions to the family. My heart twisted painfully, knowing no one was excited to meet my son. No one wasing to check on me or offer support. No one cared for the boy suckling at my breast. No one wasing, it was him and me against the world, but that was ok. I would make it work. How could anything so tiny and sweet be called a mistake? How could you throw your flesh and blood away, your own daughter, over her falling pregnant? It was a difficultbor, 34 hours and 45 five minutes of pure agony and nofort, not even from the midwives. They were nothing but rude and mean, telling me to quit my crying as I begged them to make the pain stop. I had never felt so vulnerable or alone as when I was inbor. The woman across from me was being doted on by her mate. The support he was showing her and thefort made my heart clench. It was hard enough to be a werewolf and grow up with expectations of being the Alpha¡¯s daughter but shun her because she fell pregnant. Strip her of her title, and for one night. That one night turned my life upside down. Hearing the nursee in, I look up. She grabs my chart from the end of the bed, looking it over before eyeing me. Her sses perched on the end of her nose. She didn¡¯t hide her disgust for me. No one did; everyone looked down on me because I had a child with someone who is not my mate; that much was evident because where was he? Not here beside me like the rest of those new mothers on the ward, my mate wasn¡¯t here gushing over this newborn baby in my arms. ¡°You really have no idea who the father is?¡± She asks, clicking her tongue. I knew exactly who the father was, but thest thing I needed was for him to hunt me down. I already had that run-in. A run-in I would much rather forget when I told him I was carrying his child. He didn¡¯t even remember me. Didn¡¯t help he was a rival pack Alpha. It was easier pretending I didn¡¯t know. The shame I have brought my family for being pregnant was bad enough; my father would have killed me for the disrespect of foolishly getting into bed with the Blood Alpha. I watch the nurse flick her red curly hair over her shoulder. ¡°He is cute; shame his mother was a whore¡± She sneers, and I see the points of her canines pressing beneath her gums as they protrude past her lips. ¡°Can I get some panadol?¡± I ask, ignoring herment, I had received multiple along the same lines since being here, and now I was feeling a headacheing on. I didn¡¯t feel the need to defend myself; there was no point. Nothing I say would make them look at me any different. ¡°Sorry, can¡¯t. It is not on your charts,¡± She says. ¡°It¡¯s panadol, not like I am asking for morphine,¡± I tell her. ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter. It isn¡¯t on your charts, so you will have to go without,¡± She says, dropping the chart on the table beside me. Most women heal directly after giving birth. Because I haven¡¯t shifted yet, I had no such healing ability. ¡°Can I get something to eat at least?¡± I ask her. I was starving, and breastfeeding was making me ravenous. ¡°You came in after the dinner rounds, and breakfast is at 7Am,¡± she tells me. I look at the clock and see it is only just after 8pm. I nod, knowing this nurse was not going to help in any way possible. Crap, every nurse here was horrible because of my situation. I sometimes wished I could leave this City, pretending to be human and just go about my life with my son. The nurse leaves, stopping at the blue curtain that divides the beds. ¡°Did you even think of the repercussions of having a child to someone who isn¡¯t your mate? Did you think of the poor woman who finds him and one day learns he fathered an illegitimate child to some random she-wolf?¡± I thought of that every day since learning I was pregnant, but it was his choice too. I fight back the tears from her words. Staring down at my amber-eyed boy, those eyes are definitely from his father. Mine are light bluish grey. I had just put my son down after he fell asleep in my arms when I saw the head nurse walk past. She stopped when I waved to her beforeing over to me. Her long pencil, straight hair hung to her shoulders; she would have been in her mid-twenties because she was closer to my age. Well, not really, I was barely eighteen, but still, she looked nicer than the previous nurses. She picks up my chart, flicking through it. ¡°Is there somewhere I can get some water? Or maybe a cup of tea?¡± I ask her, and she res at me. My stomach drops. Maybe she wasn¡¯t so lovely after all. She presses the buzzer behind my head, calling another nurse. Yet she still didn¡¯t answer me. My son starts to stir, and I reach over and grab him out of his crib when another nursees in, my stomach cramping from the sudden movement. ¡°Why is she in here?¡± The head nurse asks, making me look at her. I just had a baby. Why else? I thought to myself. The new nurse looks over at me, her hands tremble slightly, this head nurse obviously instilled fear among her colleagues. ¡°Get her to the unmated section. We don¡¯t need her disturbing the mothers in this ward,¡± The woman says before turning her nose up at me and walking out. I stare gobsmacked at this hospital¡¯s bedside manner. When I heard the girl in the curtain off room beside me speak. ¡°I knew something was up with her hun, her mate never visited her. No one has. Now I know why,¡± the girl says to her mate. She was right. We were allowed one person with us constantly while in here. The girl next to me, her mate, hasn¡¯t left her side since I got here. The person across from me had multiple peoplee in during the night, and her mate also hadn¡¯t left. I tried to ignore their mates, gushing over them and tending to their every need while here I sat, copping nothing but sneers and judgment. Feeling the bed move, the nurse started rolling me out of the room because I was sitting upright. I had to grab the bar that ran along the side to stop from falling back. She wheels me through the maternity ward before going down a corridor, and I appear to be leaving the maternity unit altogether. The nurse finally stops at a curtained-off area and ces the bed against the wall. The woman then turns on her heel and leaves. ¡°Wait, can I get some water?¡± She was already gone and didn¡¯t even acknowledge my question. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t bother. They won¡¯t help us,¡±es a voice before someone jerks the petitioning curtain away. I found two more girls. One looked to be nearly thirty with long blonde hair and sparkling green eyes. The other was around sixteen with her ck hair cut in a Bob. ¡°My name is Macey,¡± the oldest of them says. ¡°Hi, Everly,¡± I tell her. ¡°Her name is Zoe. Wee to the shunned mothers club,¡± Macey chuckles before looking down at her baby. She sighs heavily. ¡°Don¡¯t expect them to help; they won¡¯t. Seriously your best off getting out as soon as you can,¡± Macey tells me. ¡°But they are supposed to,¡± I tell her, feeling disheartened. ¡°Yeah, I have been here two days; bub has a few problems, half the time, they don¡¯t answer when I buzz and forget about them feeding you. I haven¡¯t received anything since being here,¡± Macey exins before reaching to her feet and pulling a bag toward her. She rummaged through it before pulling out a Muesli bar. ¡°Here you must be starving, I was, and I came prepared expecting this,¡± Macey exins. ¡°You had a baby before?¡± She shakes her head. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. ¡°No, this is my first. My mum was a single mother too. We are rogues like you,¡± she says. I open the muesli bar, my stomach growling at the sight of food. ¡°Boy or Girl?¡± I asked the younger girl. She seemed rather shy. ¡°Girl, yours?¡± ¡°Boy,¡± I tell her. ¡°Thanks,¡± I told Macey before biting into the muesli bar. ¡°Plenty in there, just help yourself. I brought extras in case there were other girls. Which pack are you from? Your aura feels quite strong for a rogue?¡± She says, staring at me. ¡°Alpha blood,¡± I tell her, and she seems shocked before nodding. ¡°In that case, you don¡¯t have to tell me. I understand why you would want to keep that to yourself. Zoe was born rogue, so was I,¡± she says, and Zoe nods. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me asking, but where are you girls living? Are there any refuges or anything for women?¡± ¡°I have a ce at a refuge. But I know it¡¯s full to capacity,¡± Zoe tells me. ¡°Me? I live with my mum and my brother,¡± Macey tells me. ¡°Where are you staying? No family would help?¡± Zoe asks. I shake my head. ¡°No, we will be alright, I wille up with something,¡± I tell them, hoping that would be true, though I have been living in my busted wagon I paid $500 for, for thest eight months. It saddened me that we were pushed aside, but for the next day, both girls helped me, for which I was grateful. Macey also shared her food, and she was right. Not once did anyonee to check on us, no food was brought to us, nothing. Shunned for having a baby, and we suddenly don¡¯t matter anymore. Chapter 3 Chapter 3 2 weekster. Tap, Tap, Tap. I look up and see a man tapping on my car window, his shlight shining in the window of my car before he moves it around, looking in the back of it. I put my hand up when the torch shes across my face blindingly. He quickly moves it to the side. ¡°Ma¡¯am, you can¡¯t stay here,¡± the middle-aged man tells me; he has to be council security because of his uniform. My son Vrian stirs, the bright light waking him, and he lets out an irritated cry. The man moves his torch away entirely, shining it at the ground, and Vrian stops. ¡°Look, I have noticed your car here for nearly two weeks; this is a train station,¡± he sighs as I pick up my son out of his fruit box bed and roll down the window a bit so he doesn¡¯t keep yelling, thinking I can¡¯t hear him. ¡°You really have no ce to go, no family?¡± He asks. ¡°No, the council kicked me out of the park¡± he runs a hand down his face before ncing around the parking lot. ¡°The baby¡¯s father?¡± I shook my head, knowing that wasn¡¯t an option. He didn¡¯t even believe me, refused to see me even when I begged him to let me on his territory so I could show him the scan, every other time, he hung up the moment he heard my voice, after a while, I gave up. ¡°You know there are people out that would take him, then you could probably go home.¡± C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. ¡°I am not abandoning my baby like my parents did me,¡± I tell him, outraged he would even suggest it. ¡°This is no life for a child. You¡¯re young if you give him up. You could still have a normal life. Something to think about. I will give you another week to find somewhere else. After that, you need to move on,¡± he says, and I nod before winding the window up. I watch him leave before settling my son and putting him back to bed in the fruit box beside me. I have always been paranoid of rolling on him while asleep, tugging the nket up over both of us before trying to getfortable. A single tear runs down my cheek as I think of his words. ¡°This was no life for a child¡± Was I being selfish? Yet, the thought of giving him up broke my heart. He was mine. I loved him and would give my life for my little man, wasn¡¯t that enough? Waking up the following day, I groan; it is pouring with rain. I rummage through the back for my umbre before slipping my shoes on. Making sure my son is bundled nice and warm, I grab my bucket in one hand and pop the umbre up as I open the hatchback. It was still early. I then pick up my son and make a run for it to the train station bathrooms. Needing to be extra careful not to slip on the wet ground. Once I get into the disabled toilet, I jam the bucket in the sink, filling it with warm water before shimming my pants down to pee. One thing I hated about being homeless was holding my son while going to the bathroom. I couldn¡¯t ce him down anywhere, making it hard to use the toilet while making sure not to drop him. When I finish, I slide my pants up with one hand, which is tricky while holding my son. I then wash my hand before turning the tap off. Now the tricky part. Holding an umbre, a baby, and a bucket of water. Somehow I manage it and make it back to the car before cing the bucket down and quickly opening the hatchback to my wagon. I set my son in his bed before hauling my tiny bucket in. I then changed his bum and used soap tother my washcloth, and gave him a wash down before dressing him, so he was all nice and fresh for the day. Using the remaining water, I also give myself a wash. Longing for a shower, gosh, I miss showering, something I definitely took for granted. I would use the rest stop ones, but I had no fuel to get there and wouldn¡¯t risk spending my limited funds. When mum and dad kicked me out, I had a small amount of savings. I also worked at the Chinese Restaurant on the main drag to keep saving, but now, since he was born and my milk dried up before I left the hospital. I was forced to stock up on form, bottled water, and nappies. The savings didn¡¯tst long with buying baby clothes and non-perishable food. My car looked like a mini supermarket, and I started to get low on the form again. Rummaging through my wallet, I find myst $100. I needed to think of something fast. This wouldn¡¯tst us much longer. Sighing, I lean back on my door, watching the rain. The Restaurant wouldn¡¯t take me back; I tried that. My parents weren¡¯t an option, and his father wouldn¡¯t even let me on pack territory when I requested to see him. I still remember when I got his number to ring him; what a mission that was. Heughed and said there was no way he would sleep with a seventeen-year-old. Well, he did, and now I have his son. To be fair, I was not supposed to be in that part of the club at the Hotel. We wanted to meet the older Alpha¡¯s, not the young ones that hadn¡¯t even reached puberty, so with a fake ID, my sister and I snuck in while the meeting was going ahead in the conference hall. Alpha Valen was just as drunk as I was, so it was no wonder he couldn¡¯t remember me. I felt this pull to him for some reason, and he must have felt it too. I couldn¡¯t have imagined it. Shaking the vague memory away. I grab a gran bar out and eat it. My belly is rumbling. What I would do for a home-cooked meal. I loved mum¡¯s cooking. She was the best cook. A tear slips down my cheek, and I check my phone, yet I know I will find no missed calls. My father disconnected it on me, but I liked to look at the photos of when I was still part of the family. I missed my little sister and wished I could see her, even just once more. I spend most of the day figuring out what I can do about money. The security guard¡¯s words ate at me. ¡°This is no life for a child¡± I was failing. I needed help and didn¡¯t know who to ask. When it starts to get dark, the Five o¡¯clock train pulls in. I tried to light my candle, so I had light, but my lighter had finally run out of gas. Popping the trunk, I try to find someone approachable to ask to borrow one. I grab my umbre, hoping I find someone who might be smoking. ¡°Excuse me, do you have a-¡± the man in his suit walks past, looking down at me. I try over and over again but am ignored by everyone that passes. Feeling disheartened, I was about to hop back in the car when I saw a younger man in his work suit. I had seen him a few times. He caught the early train and was always home on the five o¡¯clock train. He was always dressed nice in suits and had blonde hair and green eyes, a muscr build, and a good foot taller than me. He stares at me warily as I approach, and I stop when I feel his aura. He looks familiar for some reason before I finally ce him and realize he is one of the Beta¡¯s from the meeting at the Alpha Meet up. He had beta blood, and I knew he was Beta to Alpha Valen, yet I pretended I didn¡¯t recognize him, he definitely didn¡¯t remember me, and I knew he couldn¡¯t feel my aura. I had been rogue for so long now my aura was almost nonexistent; it doesn¡¯t help that I still hadn¡¯t shifted. I wanted to, needed to, but what do I do with my son? ¡°Can I borrow a lighter if you have one¡± I blurt out quickly before he waves me away, everyone usually assuming I am asking for money? He stops staring at me for a second. ¡°Fine,¡± he says, rustling inside his pocket before handing me a green lighter. I ran back to the car and lit my candle that sat on a te in my vehicle. Only when I turn around, I find him behind me, having followed me the few meters back to my car. I jump, not expecting him to be so close. ¡°Thank you,¡± I tell him, passing it back; he nods then goes to leave, walking around the side of my car when my son cries out. ¡°Shh, shh, I¡¯ming,¡± I whisper, pulling the hatchback down when something stops it. I turn to see what it caught on, only for it to be pulled open by the Beta I borrowed the lighter from. ¡°Is that a baby you have in there?¡± He asks, and my heart thunders in my chest nervously. Would he call child services on me? Chapter 4 Chapter 4 My son cries louder, and I reach for him. The man¡¯s eyes dart to him before he sniffs the air. Staring at him oddly, and I tuck him into my chest. ¡°It¡¯s only temporary; please don¡¯t call child services,¡± I tell him, and he cocks his head to the side; his gaze appeared to be more thoughtful than scrutinizing. ¡°Does your car run?¡± He asks, looking at it before he kicks a tire. ¡°I have no fuel; I will leave tomorrow, I promise,¡± I tell him, panicking. Maybe he was a council worker? I doubted it because of his expensive suit. He looks at me, ¡°you smell familiar,¡± he mutters. I swallow, wondering if he remembers me, but he doesn¡¯t appear to, and I also didn¡¯t want him questioning which pack I was from. My father and his Alpha were not on good terms, yet maybe if he could get me in to see Alpha Valen, he might help out with his son. However, that thought also frightened me having to face the man who ignored me and refused even to do a DNA test, and he declined toe to check, stating my ims were lies, but if he just met him, he would see. We could always sense our kin. I stared at him, wondering if he would leave when he pushed the hatchback open further before reaching in. I scooted further back, looking for a weapon in case I needed it. ¡°Calm down; I can¡¯t leave you here knowing you are sleeping in your car with a baby,¡± he says, grabbing the car seat. ¡°I will leave; just don¡¯t take my son,¡± I tell him. He looks at me like I am mad. ¡°I¡¯m not; I want to help,¡± ¡°You want to help?¡± I repeat, slightly suspicious. I must have heard that wrong. ¡°Come on, you can stay at the packhouse until I speak to my Alpha,¡± he says, waving me forward. ¡°Grab a change of clothes. We cane back to your car tomorrow,¡± he says. I don¡¯t move, and he sighs before grabbing a bag. He grabs a tin form, the nappy bag, and some of my clothes, stuffing them inside the bag. ¡°Come on, wouldn¡¯t you rather have a warm house than a cold car?¡± He asks. I look down at my son, wondering if I should trust him. He grabs the car seat. I climb out, and he hands me my umbre before shutting my trunk. ¡°This way,¡± he says, walking to his car. I follow him to his electric blue sports-looking car. I always wonder why he didn¡¯t drive to work. And why would he leave such an expensive car at a train station? He puts the seat in before scratching his head. ¡°You know how to clip it in?¡± He asks, and I nod. ¡°Okay, you put it in, and I will hold your-¡± He looks at my son in my arms. ¡°Son,¡± I tell him, and he nods, holding out his arms for him. He takes him from me, and I lean in, making sure to keep an eye on him while I clip the seat in before turning around. Retrieving my son, I clip him in his chair before climbing in beside him. He then passes me the bag before shutting my door. He turns the heater on when he hops in before ncing at me in the mirror. ¡°Your son has odd-colored eyes, reminds me of my Alpha¡¯s. He is the only person I know with Amber eyes besides his father,¡± he says. I look at him, and he looks away, looking back at the road. He definitely has his father¡¯s eyes, but I keep my mouth shut. Though maybe this would be my chance, he would be able to tell if he saw his son. We can sense our own family, plus their resemnce was unmistakable. ¡°Who is your Alpha?¡± I ask, pretending I don¡¯t know. ¡°Valen the Blood Alpha,¡± he says, his eyes darting to mine in the mirror again, gauging my reaction to his words. I feel excitement bubble in me, knowing I am correct in who he is. ¡°He will be fine with you bringing a rogue in the territory?¡± I ask him. ¡°He won¡¯t be there, and I will speak with him tomorrow,¡± ¡°Are you hungry?¡± He asks, and my belly rumbles loudly at the mention of food. He chuckles at the noise. ¡°I will take that as a yes,¡± he says, and my face heats. I give my son his dummy, his amber eyes peering at me in the darkness of the car. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Everly,¡± I answer him. ¡°Odd name, what pack were you from, or were you born rogue?¡± ¡°No, I was in a pack,¡± I answer, but I refuse to tell him which one. It was no secret my family¡¯s pack and the Blood-Alpha were constantly at war. ¡°Your name, I can tell you have beta blood,¡± I tell him. ¡°Marcus, and yes, I am Valen¡¯s beta,¡± he says before pulling into a drive-thru. I grab my wallet. ¡°I don¡¯t want your money,¡± he says before ordering. He asks what I want, but I don¡¯t say anything feeling awkward, so he orders two of the same thing. ¡°Is he asleep?¡± He asks, and I look at my son. I nod my head as he pulls up to the next window. ¡°Climb in the front,¡± he says, which makes me look at my son again, worried. ¡°I don¡¯t bite, climb over,¡± he says while patting the passenger seat, and I unclip my seatbelt before climbing over into the front and cing the seatbelt on quickly. I noticed he didn¡¯t have a mark on his neck, so he hadn¡¯t found his mate yet. He opens some cup holders and ces the drinks in them before passing me a paper bag. ¡°You can eat in the car,¡± he says. I thank him and open his burger box, letting him pull it out. Marcus pulls over on the side of the road before flicking the interior light on so we can see better before turning in his seat to face me. ¡°Eat. I won¡¯t hurt you,¡± I open the burger box, my hands shaking. ¡°Are you cold?¡± He asks, turning the heat up. I nodded my head. It was a lie. I was fine in the car; it was the fact I hadn¡¯t eaten a hot meal in ages or actual food that wasn¡¯t canned spaghetti or gran bars. I bite into the burger, and a sob nearly escapes my lips; I am quick to suppress it so he doesn¡¯t hear. I was chewing slowly, savoring the taste and the warmth. Looking up, he is watching me while eating his burger. I blushed, embarrassed that he was staring. He must think I am pathetic. I felt pathetic epting a stranger¡¯s help. ¡°Thank you,¡± I tell him while taking a sip of the cold coke. It fizzed in my throat and on my tongue but tasted so good. ¡°Where is your family?¡± He asks curiously. ¡°He is my only family,¡± I tell him, looking at my son. ¡°They tossed you, didn¡¯t they, for being unmated¡± I swallow, looking down. ¡°My mother was a single mother, not a rogue, my dad died; she raised me alone, she struggled but had the pack. Must be hard having no one,¡± he says. I don¡¯t say anything. What could I say? I am the disgraced daughter of an Alpha. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. We ate in silence, and for the first time in ages, I felt full, yet still, he handed me his chips, telling me to eat them before starting the car again. It took twenty minutes of driving, and I realized we were getting close to my old pack before he turned to the opposite side of the road. It took another twenty minutes of driving through his territory before he pulled up at arge three-story house. I could hardly see it was that dark, but I could tell it was modern-looking. ¡°You okay? Stepping across didn¡¯t make you feel sick?¡± I shake my head. It was odd. Usually, rogues feel sick crossing a border, but I didn¡¯t. ¡°Huh, odd,¡± he mutters. ¡°Are you sure it is okay for me to stay here?¡± ¡°Yeah, no one is here, and you can stay in my room tonight; I have pack patrol, so I won¡¯t be home¡± I nod. ¡°The Alpha won¡¯t mind?¡± I ask. ¡°Na, he won¡¯t even know until I see him tomorrow. He is in the City partying tonight; you will have the ce to yourself,¡± he says, opening his door. He opens the back door, and I climb before walking around the car and grabbing my son out. He ces the bag over his shoulder before putting his hand on my lower back, showing me to the front door. I watch as he unlocks the door before motioning for me to enter. Chapter 5 Chapter 5 Stepping inside, Marcus flicks the hallway light, and I can see better. The entire ce is spotless. White Marble floors and a massive staircase led up to the next level. I couldn¡¯t see in the rooms off the side because he didn¡¯t turn those lights on, but if the foyer was anything to go by, the rest of the house would be breathtaking. It was way over the top, nothing I wouldn¡¯t expect of the Blood Alpha. They are the wealthiest Pack and have half the City under its im. ¡°This way,¡± he says, motioning for me to follow. I follow him up two flights of stairs before he stops at a ck door. He pushes it open to reveal a king-size bed with a canopy. Mahogany furniture and arge ck rug sat on the floor. A t-screen TV was built into the wall, and he turned it on before turning the volume down a bit. I could also see a door leading to a balcony. ¡± Obviously, I don¡¯t have a crib, but the bed isfy, and the bathroom is through those doors. It is shared with the Alpha¡¯s room next door, but he won¡¯t be by tonight. Alpha Valen will probably stay at his t in the City. Towels are in there, and I will be back to check on you at six am. I will take you to see the Alpha then,¡± he says before walking into the walk-in and grabbing some clothes for himself. ¡°Kitchen is downstairs if you are hungry, and I will see youter,¡± he tells me before walking out the door. I look around before flicking the air conditioning on and warming the room. ¡°This is nice, bubba, and tomorrow you can meet your father,¡± I whisper to him. I was excited; I knew he wouldn¡¯t be able to deny him once he met him. He would know with just one look of him that he was his. We could always sense our own kin. Walking into the bathroom, I gasp. It was white marble and white tiles with gold finishings. One wall was all mirrors above the basin, and the shower could easily fit three people. The sink was the perfect size to give my son a bath in. I was excited because he hadn¡¯t had a proper bath since the hospital. I knew he would love it and instantly started prepping the sink with warm water using my elbow to test it before stripping him off, ensuring I held his head above the water. He moved his legs and arms, swishing the water and babbling happily while eating his hands. Giving him the best wash he had since leaving the hospital, he rxed more. Getting him out, I drain the water and wrap him a towel before drying him andying him on the bed while I dressed him. After his bottle, he fell asleep quickly. I propped pillows around him to ensure he didn¡¯t fall off the bed before walking back to the bathroom and leaving the door open to hear him. Stripping my clothes off, I turned the shower on before stepping under the warm spray. I used the shower gel and shampoo I found, and I felt clean as I shut the water off. I was wrapping the fluffy towel around myself when I suddenly heard voices. Drunken stumbling, a woman giggling, and I froze. Someone was here. I grabbed my clothes off the sink basin and was about to run into the room when the door opened, and a red-haired woman walked in, stopping when she noticed me. She had a tight dress that left little to the imagination, and she was clearly intoxicated. She looks me up and down before she growls at me, her top lip pulling back over her teeth. ¡°What are you doing in here, rogue?¡± She barks. ¡°I¡­ Beta Marcus¡± Stuttering, I try to exin when the door was shoved open, and a man stormed in. No, the blood Alpha. He stunk heavily of whiskey, the smell so strong it burnt my nose, yet I couldn¡¯t tear my eyes from his amber ones. He was gorgeous even while heavily intoxicated and barely able to stand upright. He was tall too and way bulkier than I remembered. He had dark hair and a five o¡¯clock shadow, but his eyes, those eyes I couldn¡¯t look away from. My brain fried in his presence and all I could do was stare, my brain screaming at me, my senses overloaded with his essence. Mate! The blood Alpha was my mate. I knew it with every fiber of my being, even without having shifted yet. I was of age now, and I felt my heart flutter excitedly. I found my mate. Taking a step toward him, I reach out to him when his lips pull back over his teeth to reveal sharp canines. His face twisted in anger. I gasp, realizing he is too intoxicated to recognize me. Instead, he rushes toward me. His hands grab my throat as he pushes me against the cold tiled wall. ¡°What the fuck is a rogue doing in my house¡± he screams before sniffing me. I couldn¡¯t talk; his grip was tight as he restricted my airway. He sniffs me before shaking his head. Then he shoves me back beforemanding me. ¡°Get out of my house now before I have you killed,¡± he says, and my stomach drops. He can¡¯t recognize me; I could just be a random off the street, some random rogue whore with how drunk he is, though he kept sniffing the air, his body telling him something was amiss, just the brain not registering me at all, I feel my heart sink. The woman behind him clearly enjoyed this confrontation; she probably hoped he would kill me. Rogues aren¡¯t allowed on packnd. I never should havee here. I never should have got my hopes up, not even my own mate would help me, and this was my only chance at showing him he is a father, and now it just went out the window. ¡°Wait but, you are my¡± ¡°Get out!¡± He screams, and I flinch, hismand rolling over me, and I grab my clothes from where I dropped them, rushing into the room and pulling them on. N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. ¡°Come on, baby,¡± the woman purrs, clutching onto him. Tears brim in my eyes while I snatch my things up, unable to do anything against hismand, unable to exin myself. Wrapping my son in his nket and tucking him against me. I grab my bag before rushing down the steps when pain smashes me, taking my breath away. Clutching the banister, my stomach cramps, making me cry out. I grit my teeth, pain tearing my heart apart, and I knew they were fucking. He was screwing her. I heard of women knowing when their mates are unfaithful, and I met him and with another woman. I didn¡¯t think it would hurt like this; I never envisioned this pain. He hadn¡¯t even marked me. Running down the steps, I rush out the door. It was pouring with rain as a storm rolled across the night sky. Looking around helplessly, I am miles from my car, yet hismand told me to leave and gave me no choice. I start running, pulling my son under my shirt to shield him from the cold. My legs were moving with nowhere to go as I desperately tried to figure out where to go for shelter. I don¡¯t know how long I was running for, but I suddenly found myself on the City¡¯s main street. Looking across the road was my old territory. My father¡¯s Pack was on the opposite side of the main drag and only a ten-minute run. Maybe he would take pity on me; perhaps he might change his mind once he met his grandson. I could only hope, at least for my son¡¯s sake. Swallowing knowing I have no choice or I would be in the rain all night with a baby. Deciding on taking my chances, I started running home. I ran the entire way before stopping out in front of my old house. The lights were all off. My heart twists as I look up the driveway of our single-story lavish home. Growing up here, I yed with the pack kids in this street. Rode my bike along the footpath with my sister. My father used to toss the football with us on this verywn after work when we were little, or he would help us climb the massive tree that sat off the side of the driveway. This was home, and I missed my old life, missed my family; I just hoped they missed me too. Chapter 6 Chapter 6 Quietly sneaking up the side of the house, I stop at my sister¡¯s bedroom window. Looking in, I see her asleep in her bed. I tap on the window before I see movement; she flicks hermp on, squinting around the room before looking at the window. Waving at her, my sister¡¯s mouth opens, and she bes immediately alert before she rushes over. Ava throws her window open, and I pass her my bag, which she ces on the floor before taking Vrian from me, so I can climb through the window. ¡°Sis!¡± She cries, hugging me. I inhale her scent, tears flowing down my cheeks, before pulling back to look at her. She clutched her mouth before a sob escaped her. ¡°He¡¯s beautiful,¡± she chokes out. I gently closed the window, and she hugged Vrian close, smelling his tiny head. I was soaked, my hair dripping from the rain. ¡°Gosh, I have missed you. Dad wouldn¡¯t let me look for you; he has me on a tight leash,¡± she says, tears streaking down her cheeks. ¡°Grab some dry clothes, take whatever you want,¡± she whispers while pointing at her dresser, and I rummage through her drawers. I find some warm clothes trying to be quiet, so I don¡¯t wake my parents down the hall. Putting on some of her pajamas and had to roll the pants to hold them up. My sister watches me before she breaks down again. ¡°You¡¯re so skinny,¡± she sobs, sitting on her bed and looking at my body. She was right. You could see most of my ribs, my hip bones jutting out, I had lost so much weight, and this is the smallest I have ever been. ¡°I¡¯m fine, Ava. I¡¯m okay,¡± I try to reassure her. But she shakes her head, looking at my son rocking him. Rummaging through my bag, I retrieve him a nappy. Thankfully my shirt kept him dry and the nket that¡¯s wrapped around him. She moves over, leaning on the wall, and watches my son fall asleep in her arms. I sat next to her, laying my head down on her shoulder before breaking down. Ava tried to soothe me, and I could feel her crying silently beside me. How things had changed, Ava was my best friend, and I loved being her sister. You could never beat a sister bond, someone who knows your hardships, knows what it is like to grow up with the parents you have, someone who shares every milestone with you and every heartbreak. I missed having someone to talk to. Mainly receiving judgmental res or few words to show their disgust of me. Nobody asked anymore how I was, nobody cared, and I was stupid enough to believe Beta Marcus would be able to help, stupid enough to think my mate would ept me. ¡°How is mum?¡± I ask her, and she shakes her head. ¡°She is okay; she asked dad for a divorce when he kicked you out. But you know mum, she would never leave him,¡± she tells me, and I nod. It was unheard of for mates to get divorced. The bond stopped mates from being separated. It weakened them, two souls, together, or that¡¯s how it is supposed to be. I wasn¡¯t looking forward to the rest of my life feeling my mate whenever he was with another woman that wasn¡¯t me. I wasn¡¯t looking forward to raising our son on my own or being alone. N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. When Vrian stirs, I get up and grab my form before realizing I had no bottled water. Waving the bottle at my sister, Ava passes my son to me before grabbing his bottle from my hand. ¡°How much?¡± ¡°120 mils,¡± I tell her, and she nods, opening the door when my son cries out really loud. I try to muffle the noise and soothe him by giving his dummy, but he spits it out. My sister stares at me in panic. Quickly closing the door before it is thrown open and bangs against the wall. My father walks in. He looks at me. A growl escapes him, and I cower away from him; my sister gets between us and shields me from my enraged father. He shoves her out of the way before stalking toward me. ¡°Please, Dad, please,¡± I beg. He grabs my hair, and I scream, and so does my son in my arms as I try not to drop him. My reflexes wanted to pull his hands away. Instead, I held my son, letting my hair tug painfully from my scalp. ¡°Mum, mum!¡± My sister starts screaming frantically before I hear feet pping on the tiles. ¡°Please, Dad, Mum, help me. Mum, please,¡± I beg her when she rushes in, her mouth open in shock as my father starts dragging me toward the front door by my hair. My mother grips his arm, pleading with him ¡°John, please let her go; she has a baby in her arms,¡± He shoves her aside before dragging me down the hall to the front of the house. ¡°Dad, please, it is raining outside,¡± Ava begs our father. My mother is also frantically trying to stop him. My father does not care; he growls at them, ignoring them and my cries. He opens the front door when my mother shoves him. ¡°John, she is daughter, please,¡± she begs, tears in her eyes and streaming down her face. ¡°That whore is not my daughter,¡± He growls, his canines protruding. ¡°Dad, please, it is freezing outside,¡± Ava begs. ¡°I said no, I will not have a rogue whore for a daughter,¡± he screams, his face turning red in his anger. ¡°Then take him, please. I will stay outside; just don¡¯t put him out. Please, Dad, he is your grandson,¡± I choke out. He growls at me, his hand shoving me out the door, about to shut the door in my face. ¡°Please just look at him, Dad. He will get sick, just one night, then I will leave,¡± I plead. My mother reaches for Vrian, but my father pushes her behind him. ¡°John, at least let me take him, let me take my Grandson,¡± my mother cries. He lets me go looking down at my son before staring at my mother, who was sobbing her hands outstretched for him, those same hands that held mine when I was a little girl, now grasping the air for my son. ¡°Give him to her, but you stay out. You aren¡¯t wee here,¡± he says before walking off. My mother rushes over to grab Vrian before hugging me briefly. ¡°I will watch him; I will stay by the window,¡± she says, and I nod. ¡°Ava has his baby bag,¡± I tell her. My sister clutches my fingers nodding. Tears rolled down her cheeks as her lips quivered. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Ava, I will be fine,¡± I tell my sister behind her before my dad yells at them, making them jump. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I have to,¡± my mother says, closing the door. I nod before the curtain in the living room opens, and themp flicks on. I saw my sister rush off toward the kitchen, and my mother sat on the lounge with him next to the window so I could see him. ¡°He has your nose,¡± she says, smiling sadly at me and I smile sitting on the chair out front on the porch. I shiver my sister¡¯s nnelette pajamas be soaked as the rain blows toward me on the patio area. Listening and watching my mother through the window feeding my son his bottle. At least he is warm and dry, I think to myself. Huddled up on the chair, I tuck my knees to my chest, trying to warm myself and shield myself from the cold and the strong gusts of wind. It doesn¡¯t take long before I start shaking uncontrobly, and my teeth chatter so hard I thought they would break. My mother tapped on the ss where I rested my head. I could see her heartbreak at watching me sit in the cold and stormy weather. ¡°Shift sweety, shift to try to stay warm,¡± She says, cing her palm on the ss. ¡°I haven¡¯t shifted yet,¡± I tell her, and she looks at me sadly. Shifting was a big thing with werewolves; it wasing of age. Your wolf was meant to represent your future in the Pack, yet I hadn¡¯t shifted, and it was not celebratory like it was for most wolves; it would be purely necessity. Chapter 7 Chapter 7 What was there to celebrate? My failures, the fact I am pack-less and homeless, that I am raising a baby on my own because the father refused to believe he got with a seventeen-year-old because he couldn¡¯t recognize me as his mate. ¡°Shift! Please, Everly. I can¡¯t watch you suffer in the rain, please,¡± My mother begs, sucking in a deep breath. ¡°You can do this, Everly,¡± I whisper to myself. It isn¡¯t how you imagined shifting, but you need to put your big girl panties on and do what¡¯s required. I tell myself that nobody will be celebrating for you, not anymore, before stripping my saturated shirt off. I hang it over a railing along the far wall before shredding the pajama pants. I look around; it iste at night no one will see me. Even if they did, they wouldn¡¯t pay any attention to the disgraced Alpha¡¯s daughter. My mother taps on the window, and I look in at my son drinking his bottle in her arms, gazing up at her nice and warm. His eyes get heavier and heavier the longer he feeds on his bottle. ¡°Thank you,¡± I whisper to her. She smiles sadly while nodding her head. ¡°I¡¯m right here. You don¡¯t have to be alone for your first shift,¡± my mother says, and I nod. Usually, when a wolf shifts for the first time, they go running with their family, they have a big celebration. Me, I was shifting to stay warm, funny how things turned out. I was transitioning out of necessity while everyone else shifted for celebration. I have been able to feel my need to shift for months; however, being pregnant, I couldn¡¯t change without causing harm to my unborn baby, then it did not have anyone to watch him while I did. This was my only chance, yet I dreaded seeing myself in wolf form. Alpha¡¯s were supposed to be big, but I had been stripped of my title and my Pack. I hadn¡¯t shifted on my eighteenth birthday like I should have, and all these things affected our wolf¡¯s strength. Swallowing down all emotion, I kneel on the ground, stretch my fingers, and stand on my toes. My neck cracks first, my face twisting and morphing. Everything stretches and moves when I feel the first snap of bone. It was agony, I knew it would hurt, but I never imagined it like this. The first shift always hurts, apparently. ¡°Don¡¯t think of it, just envision your wolf,¡± My mother tries coaching through the ss window. It shouldn¡¯t be like this; it wasn¡¯t meant to be like this; Dad always promised mum and him would be there to help me through it. ¡°Deep breath and shove everything behind it, force the shift don¡¯t wait for it, force it, Everly,¡± My mother says, and I suck in a deep breath, trying to envision what I would look like. Would I be a sandy color like my mother or ck like my father? A scream tore out of me that turned into a howl as the shift took over when I threw everything behind it like my mother said, bypassing the agony of shifting. Suddenly my hands were reced with paws, my skin covered in thick fur, my face was more prolonged, my canines felt sharp as I ran my tongue along with them. Looking at my paws and my tail trying to see myself. I appeared to be a strange off-white color, almost a blue hue under the moonlight. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Using the ss to look at myself, I was pure white, my fur one color only small, tiny, and thin. So small, I looked like an omega as I peered at myself. I looked up at my mother in the window, holding my son, one hand covering her mouth in shock. She was shocked at my size, the size of a castaway. I was easy pickings, and my wolf would only get smaller and weaker the longer I went without my mate too. My fatheres over and looks out the window, a stormy look on his face; he is disappointed. I was not much bigger than a german shepherd, which is embarrassingly small. Most rogues would be more significant than me. Was this punishment from being stripped bare of everything? This is what¡¯s left of me? My father tugged the curtain closed like he couldn¡¯t look at me any longer like he was disgusted, and I was too. Mortified at how weak I was. I press my nose against the ss, and I hear my father walk off when my mother tugs the curtain open a bit before sitting on the couch so I can see my son. Watching him through the ss, wishing I couldfort him but knowing it was best this way. He was safe and warm and, more importantly, dry. My mother managed to get him to sleep and made him a makeshift bass on the couch, and eventually, I fell asleep. My head rested on the brick ledge under the window. When the sun starts to come up, I quickly shift back, putting on my drenched clothes and carefully ringing them out to try and remove some of the water. I had just pulled the sopping wet clothes on when the front door opened, and my father stepped out of the house. I looked up at him from my spot on the ground near the window where I was crouched. He doesn¡¯t even look at me, instead tosses me some cash rolled up in a rubber band. ¡°I want you gone before I get home, don¡¯t evere back, Everly,¡± He says before walking toward his car, not even ncing at me. I reach forward, grabbing the rolled-up cash looking after him. Despite how badly my heart was breaking, he couldn¡¯t even acknowledge me. I still loved the man. He was my father, and tossing me away like garbage hurt; it hurt severely, making me realize I was nothing but garbage to everyone. The door opens, my mother puts her head out to see if he is gone before ushering me into the house. My sisteres running out with a backpack and some dry clothes. She hands me a towel, and I dry myself off before slipping on the jeans, shirt, and hoodie she had brought out for me. ¡°Here, take these,¡± She says, handing me a pair of her Nike shoes. I slip the socks on before cing the shoes on my feet. My mother was still holding my son like she didn¡¯t want to let him go. ¡°I rang a taxi toe to get you,¡± My mother tells me while my sister hands me a bag. ¡°Some clothes, toiletries, feminine products, girlie stuff. I also put all the cash from my safe in there,¡± My sister says, and I swallow. ¡°Ava, I can¡¯t take that,¡± I tell her. ¡°You might as well. I can¡¯t go to university now anyway. Dad is making me take over the Pack next year,¡± I suddenly felt guilty. Not only did I fuck my life up, but I ruined my sisters too. Now she was being forced to be Alpha. Ava wanted to go to uni and study some science thing when I was still here. She is wicked smart, and I ruined her ns by getting pregnant. Ava didn¡¯t look upset, though, just like she epted it. ¡°Take it, my old phone is in there too, and the charger I will make sure to recharge it every month for you so I can get ahold of you,¡± Ava says, and my mother nods. ¡°He doesn¡¯t have to know. What he doesn¡¯t know won¡¯t hurt him,¡± my mother tells me. ¡°So, you wille to see us, visit us?¡± I asked her; hopefully, her face dropped. ¡°No, you know I can¡¯t, but you can send us photos of. You never did tell us his name,¡± My mother says. ¡°Valerian,¡± I tell them. They looked at me funny, but I thought it went with his father¡¯s name, even though he will probably never meet the man, but at the time, I had hoped, now not so much. ¡°See, you can send a picture of Valerian to us, and we can use video chat; it will be the same,¡± My mother says, only it won¡¯t be. It willck the connection, the physical contact. Chewing my lip, and I nod, not adding my thoughts. That was as good as it was going to get. I was alone; not even my mother was willing to go against my father for her daughter. I shouldn¡¯t have expected her to. It was near impossible for someone to go against their mate. I never realized how much I missed human touch until I no longer felt it, only my sons. I craved contact, any form of interaction, conversation, someone to talk to that could talk back. ¡°You okay, Everly?¡± Ava asks, and I nod, seeing the cab waiting out the front. I take my son, my sister¡¯s bag she packed for me, and the baby bag. ¡°I will not see you again,¡± I tell them, letting those words sink in; I wasn¡¯t wee back here, and they were too scared toe to see me. This would be it. They said they would ring, but we know it will only be texts if they manage that without my father realizing it. My sister squeezes me tight before letting go, and my mother clutches my face, her eyes filled with tears. ¡°You can do this. You will be alright,¡± She says, her face lined with worry; she knew with how small my wolf is that I would suffer if anyone came for me. She knew I would not be able to protect myself. If they knew my mate had also tossed me aside, they would realize I was basically as good as dead. Without my mate, I would slowly deteriorate until there was nothing left, and I won¡¯t be able to shift and be practically human. Once that happens, I am as good as dead. ¡°Are you telling yourself or me that?¡± I ask her, her brows furrow; she knows there is nothing out there for us. We were rogue, and nothing good ever happens to rogues; they merely exist amongst the packs, surviving day to day, praying we don¡¯t get picked off by bigger prey because, at the end of the day, no Pack would intervene for a rogue, even if they have a child. Chapter 8 Chapter 8 I had to hold my son on myp in the back as the taxi driver drove us to the train station. We drove past a rundown hotel on the way to the station, and I think I may just have enough fuel to get my car there; hopefully, I did. After spending the entire night in the rain, I wanted a hot shower, wanted something warm in my belly, but most of all, I wanted the safety of four walls, even if it was only for one night. I tell myself that one night is all I need to let it out, then I can suck it up and figure something out. I handed the taxi driver some cash from the wad my father gave me. I had no idea how much my sister snuck into the bag, but getting my keys from the baby bag, I unlocked my car and climbed in, pulling the hatchback down when I realized I no longer had a car seat. Shit! I think knowing how long I saved for that car seat. I open the bag and empty my pockets after cing my son in his box bed. My father gave me $525. I snort. Gee, thanks, dad. I think to myself. But that would buy roughly 16 Tin¡¯s of form and 4 boxes of nappies, so it would keep me out of trouble for a while. Opening the bag my sister packed for me. I found feminine products. Hair products, makeup. Some ck cks and a blouse and some ck ts assuming she ced them here if I managed to get a Job Interview. I find her old touchscreen phone and a charger before finding an envelope. Opening it and pulling out all $100 bills. I feel a lump in my throat form; she gave me everything she had. I knew she did. There was nearly eight thousand dors in the envelope. She gave me all her savings, and I felt a tear slip down my cheek. Turning the envelope over, I see her neat handwriting. ¡®You can do this. I love you.¡¯ It was written on it, and I nodded at her words on the envelope. She was right. I could do this, I could because I had no choice. I would make it work. Packing up some clothes and refilling the baby bag, I pack a little bit of food to eatter before changing my son. Once he is dressed with a fresh bum on. I grab my umbre and toss my bag over my shoulder along with the baby bag before scooping up my son. Locking my car, I then start walking, deciding to head to the rundown Hotel I saw. I wondered how I had never noticed it before, but even if it was just for one night, I could pretend I was normal. After a decent shower the other night before being tossed aside by my mate and my son¡¯s father. I now longed for a tiny piece of normal. Some dignity, a chance to feel human even if it was for only one night. I walked to the rundown Hotel; the rain was only light and had nearly stopped when I reached the two- story rectangr building. It had peeling paint, and the gardens were overgrown. The sign out the front hung down, and the neon lights flickered as they tried to remain on. The lines in the parking lot were faded, and the hotel numbers on the door were barely visible. Reaching the office, a woman sat on the chair out front with a cigarette between her fingers. Pushing on the door, the bell sounded, and the woman sitting smoking spoke behind me. ¡°I will be with you in a second just let me finish this,¡± she says, holding up her smoke. She stares at me, watching me, her eyes roaming over my appearance before stopping at my son in my arms. ¡°He¡¯s yours?¡± She asks. I nod, looking down at him and tucking him closer. ¡°The father?¡± She asks, and I shake my head. ¡°Not your mate¡¯s?¡± She asks, and I feel tears burn my eyes at her words. ¡°He is your mate, so why are you here?¡± She asks curiously, pointing to the chair beside her. ¡°She leans over looking at my son¡± she appeared to be in her fifties with dark hair cut to her shoulders. She had her nose pierced, heavy eye makeup, and a tank top and jeans. ¡°He has strange eyes; reminds me of someone I used to know; amber eyes are usually a family trait. Not many wolves in MountainView City with eyes like that,¡± she says. ¡°So the blood Alpha is your mate and his father,¡± she says, and I look at her. She smiles and nods when I say nothing. ¡°Powerful family, so why aren¡¯t you with your mate?¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t recognize me and kicked me off packnd before I could tell him about his son,¡± I admit. ¡°And your family?¡± She asks. I fall silent, and she nods once before speaking, ¡°My parents thought I was a rogue whore too, funny how things turn out.¡± ¡°So you have a child?¡± I ask her. ¡°Had a child, his father took him¡± ¡°So you are rogue?¡± ¡°I am many things but rogue whore? You and I aren¡¯t so different. My name is Valerie, and you are?¡± ¡°Everly, this is Valerian,¡± I tell her, and her eyes sparkle. ¡°Suiting, after his father,¡± the woman says. ¡°How do you know?¡± C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. ¡°About his father?¡± The woman asks, looking at my son. ¡°Only one bloodline I know that has amber eyes. Come on, let¡¯s get you a room,¡± Vrie says while getting up. I followed her into the small office. ¡°I take it you have no ID?¡± She says, and I nod. ¡°I have an old bus pass,¡± I offer, but she shakes her head, waving me off. ¡°I don¡¯t believe you will give me any trouble,¡± ¡°Here, fill this out while I hold Valerian,¡± she says, holding her arms out. I pass her my son, and she wanders behind the counter, sitting down while I fill out my paperwork. Yet I had no address, no keycard that actually worked anymore. I put the mobile number down for my sister¡¯s phone. ¡°You hungry, I am cooking a roast, but it¡¯s just me and too much for one person. You can join me if you want, say around five; it should be done,¡± she says, nodding toward the door behind her. There was a beaded curtain, and I could smell what smelt like amb roast. My belly rumbled at the thought of a home-cooked meal. ¡°How about you get settled in, have a shower, ande through that door when you are done. We can have dinner together. It would be nice to havepany. Not many stop over for the night anymore, and you can tell me how you ended up a rogue,¡± she tells me. I dig through my bag to give her cash from the envelope when she hands me my son. ¡°No, keep it. Be nice just to havepany, haven¡¯t had anyone stay in months now,¡± Vrie tells me, and I look around, the ce was a dump, but it was still nicer than the back of my car. Chapter 9 Chapter 9 Valen POV The sun was searing my eyes out of my head as it lit up the back of my eyelids. I was just about to force myself up when Marcus burst into my room, the door mming into the wall loudly, the noise rattling my already pounding headache. ¡°Ah, good you¡¯re up,¡± he says just as I sit up, rubbing my eyes. I wave him off, but he doesn¡¯t leave. Instead, leaning on the wall beside my dresser. ¡°What?¡± I ask, my head pounding in my skull. I look around my room to find some redhead in my bed and groan, praying I used a rubber. She was tangled in the sheets, and just seeing her there irritated me. Stupid dick; why does it always pick bimbos. ¡°The rogue girl in my room, where did she go?¡± Huh? What the fuck is he talking about? I was too hungover for his dramas this morning. I stare at the woman in my bed. Her hair spread out on the pillow while ignoring my Beta. ¡°Oi, whatever your name is, get up,¡± I tell her shoving her shoulder. She groans, rolling over shing us her tits. I growl at her, and Marcus snorts. ¡°Get rid of her,¡± I tell Marcus, getting up to pee. I push the bathroom door open, my sensesing alert. I could smell some faint scent in here. It made my mouth water but was so faint, making me wonder what chemicals the cleaningdy was using. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. ¡°Valen, the girl in my room, where is she?¡± Marcus asks, following me to the bathroom. ¡°What girl?¡± I mutter, shaking my dick before pulling my pants up. I spot the trash can and see a used condom, thank fuck for that. I think to myself. ¡°The rogue girl, Everly. I picked her upst night and brought her here,¡± Marcus says, and I pinch the bridge of my nose trying to rememberst night. My head was pounding, but I remembering home, and the g in my bed was whining about a rogue before it clicked,ing back to me. But I couldn¡¯t remember her face. However, something was nagging me about the situation. ¡°Wait, you brought her here?¡± I ask, peering over at my Beta leaning on the bathroom door. ¡°Yes, and she has a name Everly, her and her son; I found them sleeping at the train station.¡± ¡°What?¡± I ask, horrified looking at him. ¡°She had no kid with her,¡± I tell him, and he looks at me, his lips pulling back over his teeth. ¡°Valen?¡± He growls; if he was anyone else. I would knock him on his ass for taking that tone with me, he is lucky he is my best friend, or he would be lying unconscious on the floor. ¡°Grab my keys; I didn¡¯t know she had a fucking kid. I never would have kicked her outst night if I had known,¡± I tell him. ¡°Are you fucking serious? It was pouring with rain,¡± Marcus snaps at me. I suddenly felt terrible, praying I didn¡¯t hurt her; I couldn¡¯t remember. My memory is hazy, and I am sure I was still pretty intoxicated with the way the ground kept moving as I walked. The woman in the bed stirs, sitting up and rubbing her eyes before running a hand through her hair. I roll my eyes at her grabbing some shorts from my walk-in and a shirt. ¡°Get your shit and get out,¡± I snap at her, scooping up her dress and chucking it at her. ¡°Baby, what¡¯s got into¡± fuck me, why they gotta be such cling ons. ¡°Don¡¯t baby me, get the fuck out of my bed and packhouse,¡± I snap at her. She wasn¡¯t one of my pack members. God knows where I picked her up from. ¡°Out now!¡± I yell at her, forcing my Alpha aura over her. She jumps up, tugging the dress over her head before grabbing her shoes. She shoulder barges Marcus on her way out the door, and I grab my keys off the dresser. Hoping I didn¡¯t destroy my car again driving home drunk. ¡°You¡¯re not driving; you still look half tanked. Hurry up, maybe she went back to her car,¡± Marcus says. I feel guilty as shit knowing I kicked the girl out in the rain with a baby. If Marcus brought her here, she must have been in dire straits because Marcus never brings anyone to the packhouse. ¡°What did you say her name was again?¡± I ask, wondering why he was so interested in this rogue. ¡°Everly, she smelt familiar¡­¡± he says thoughtfully. ¡°And I can officially say you aren¡¯t the only freak with eyes like your father.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Her son, he had the same eyes as you, freaky as fuck, could almost pass him off to be your son,¡± he chuckles. I shove my feet in my shoes, growling at his words. That¡¯s thest thing I needed, an illegitimate child. It would be another thing for my father to breathe down my neck about. ¡°What you never know, you have a new girl on your arm every night probably have fifty kids you are unaware of,¡± Marcusughs. ¡°How old is she?¡± ¡°Dunno, but I could tell she hadn¡¯t shifted yet, so must be young,¡± he says with a shrug. ¡°Well, not mine then; I won¡¯t go near jailbait.¡± ¡°She wasn¡¯t that young, probably eighteen. Well, nearly seeing as she hadn¡¯t shifted,¡± he says. ¡°Did she say what pack she is from?¡± ¡°Nope¡± ¡°Well,e on, let¡¯s see if we can find her. Maybe they might have room at one of the hostels to put her in for a few weeks¡± They really need to get rid of thatw. We have a few what the other packs would call rogue whores in our Pack, disgusting how the other Packs just turn their backs on them. I sat in the passenger seat of Marcus¡¯s car, the motion making my stomach turn as I press my head against the window. I must have nodded off because I woke up to Marcus shaking my shoulder. Looking up, we were pulling into the transition on no man¡¯snd. ¡°That is her car,¡± Marcus says, pointing to a rundown wagon. ¡°Well, go on, see if your damsel in distress wants to be saved,¡± I tell him, waving him off. It was pretty overcast today; the stormst night was massive, giant puddles in the car park had ducks swimming around in them, making my guilt worse knowing I forced a woman and baby out in this weather. He looks in the windows, and I sigh, tossing the door open and walking over to him. ¡°She isn¡¯t here; I wonder where she went?¡± He says, looking around before walking off toward the train station. ¡°I will see if the guards are on and if they have seen her,¡± He sings out over his shoulder. I peer in the windows of the busted-up wagon. The thing looked like a death trap. The car¡¯s rear was like a mini grocery department of baby items, tins of form, and nappies. Canned food, a duvet, and a pillow. Hardly any personal items, yet I could see a photo album jammed between the passenger and driver¡¯s seat. Marcuses back, shaking his head. CCTV shows she left this morning with a bag and her son. ¡°Might have gone home?¡± I suggest, and he shrugs. Walking to his car. He opens the backdoor before pulling out a baby capsule. I help him by cing it beside her car before rummaging around for a pen and paper. ¡°Leave a note with your number. You think she would contact you?¡± I ask him, and he nods, finding an old envelope, scrawling his number on it, and putting some money in it to use a payphone if she hasn¡¯t got a phone. He ces the note inside the capsule; I look around at the clouds. It looked like rain was going toe back. ¡°It will get wet, give the note and car seat to security to give to her,¡± I tell him, and Marcus nods, walking off toward the train station with the capsule in his arms. Not much we could do when she wasn¡¯t here, and I needed to go crawl back in bed or get my stomach pumped; either would do if it meant getting rid of this sickly feeling in my guts and this pounding headache. Chapter 10 Chapter 10 Everly POV We settled in the room, and I washed Valerian down with a wet cloth. It was a little too cold today for me to give him a bath right now. Once Vrian had settled and was napping, I had the longest, hottest shower in ages. Trying to wash the memories ofst night away. I found my mate, saw him, and he didn¡¯t recognize me. But worse still was knowing he was with another woman. The agony that it caused as I ran home was heartbreaking as well as painful. When Marcus took me there, I hoped that he would recognize our son and get the help we needed, that maybe everything could be fixed, especially once I realized he was my mate. Allowing hope for the first time in ages, and I caught a glimmer of it only for it to be taken away, and now I was failing my son once again, that much I did know. I was failing my son; he would never have a father. I would never again have mine and how I longed to go home, where I was loved and the cherished Alphas daughter. Instead, I am now ashamed and scum, forbidden to speak to my sister in my father¡¯s eyes. Not even my mother would fight her grandchild or me. I knew she was hurting, but I could never choose anyone over my son, so how could she choose Dad over me? My life had fallen apart; I didn¡¯t think it could get much worse, but then it ripped my heart out too. I thought my luck was changing when he stepped into the bathroom. Every piece of me, screaming for him. I truly realized how powerful a mate bond is for the first time. Nothing thrilled me more, well, until I saw the look on his face. The way he yelled at me and ordered me off his territory. Only to have my father toss me outside in the rain afterward. Forcing me to watch my son being looked after through a damn window out of reach because I no longer deserve Human decency from my own family. I thought I could do this. I thought I was stronger than this but everyone breaks. Everyone has a breaking point, and I have reached mine, everything damn thing weighing me down suddenly bes too much, and I break. At least no one could see how F*cked up I really was while I cried in the shower, letting the shower wash away my sorrow. Wash out the pain I felt until it brought me to my knees. Making it startlingly clear how alone I was. Loneliness was deafening and cold, no one to tell you it would be alright , no one to help you pick up the pieces, no conversation, and I had lost my sense of self. I was no one now, just a mum, just another rogue whore for everyone to look down at. Even though I am not. He is my mate, who didn¡¯t see me. I realize how small and insignificant I am to everyone except my baby boy. Hearing a knock on the door, my head jerks up from where it was pressed to my knees. I get up quickly, shutting the water off and grabbing a towel. ¡°Everly dear, open the door for me.¡± ¡°Sorry, just a sec,¡± I call back, checking Valerian before tugging a shirt over the towel to try to appear presentable. I open the door to find Valerie standing there with a tray in her hands and two tes on it. ¡°Thought I woulde to join you in here. The time must have slipped you by,¡± Vrie says. I quickly take it from her, and she steps inside, walking to the small table. ¡°Oh, I am so sorry, I didn¡¯t realize how much time passed, ¡± I tell her, ncing at the old analog clock on the wall. Was I really in the shower that long? ¡°It¡¯s fine dear, I could hear you were upset, so I thought I woulde and be an ear to listen, ¡± she says, and my brows bunch at her words. She points behind me to the bathroom. ¡°That vent there is directly above my kitchen. It echoes through the pipes. I keep meaning to get someone in to fix it, but no one wants to help a rogue whore¡± she says. My face heats, and I touch my cheeks. ¡± I ¡®m sorry. I didn¡¯t realize; I hope I didn¡¯t disturb you,¡± I tell her; she waves me off. ¡°You forget I have been where you are, I would have put you in another room, but this is the nicest one left and is functional. The ce is falling apart, ¡± she says. Valerian starts fussing, and I move to get up when Vrie does. ¡°Go get your pajamas on; I will watch him. Isn¡¯t that right, Sugar? Yes, I love me some baby cuddles, ¡± she says, smiling brightly down at him as she scoops him up into her arms. ¡°Go on, get dressed, and then we can talk, ¡± she says, and I nod, quickly digging through my bag and grabbing some clothes out before rushing to the bathroom. I dressed quickly and came out with my hair wrapped in my towel. ¡°He is such a sweet boy,¡± Vrie babbles to him. He eventually drifts off, and she ces him back in bed. ¡°So, what makes you upset? Why the tears?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Everything just got to be too much, ¡± I tell her as we unwrap our dinner from the aluminum foil. We tuck in eating, and I tell Vrie everything, bleeding my heart and soul out to her, the pressure lifting off my chest. I didn¡¯t realize how talking to someone who listened could feel relieving. Vrie also told me she found her mate when she was my age. Because she was an Omega, he didn¡¯t want to tell anyone because it would bring shame to her mate¡¯s family. These days it was umon for someone to be so prejudiced over Ranking. The most heartbreaking part was he never rejected her, kept her around, refusing to let her go because he couldn¡¯t handle knowing she would belong to someone else. She said she became just another side piece so he would stay strong; rejecting mates weakens us, yet I thought it was disgusting he would force her to endure that agony of being alone. When she fell pregnant, he took her son, said it was better if he raised him. She said besides pictures, she hadn¡¯t seen her son since he was a baby. He doesn¡¯t even know she exists because her mate told him she died during birth. Her story was tragic and gut- wrenching, yet she still loved him despite it. ¡± Have you thought of moving on?¡± I ask her, and she shakes her head. ¡°He stilles in every couple of weeks to stay the night,¡° She tells me with a shrug like she never thought about finding anyone else. C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. ¡°Can I ask you something, something a little personal? ¡± I ask her. I needed to know; I needed to know if I would be tortured my entire life. ¡°You can ask me anything, but then I want to ask you something,¡± she says, and I nod. ¡°When I found my mate, he was with another woman. The pain¡­ I mean, does it feel like that all the time? Will it feel like that every time he is with someone? ¡± She swallows, her eyes turning ssy. Vrie sits back in her chair, looking towards the window, and she gulps. ¡°You will learn to endure it. After a while, even wee it¡± ¡°Why would I wee it?¡± ¡°Because it makes you angry, I love my mate, but I also hate him. Sometimes hating them hurts less than realizing you will never have them. It reminds you to keep on living despite what they did to us. Hold onto that anger because sometimes it is the only thing that will keep you going, ¡± she tells me. ¡°I get a script though, powerful painkillers, they help take the edge off, but if he¡¯s anything like my mate, it is over quickly before the drugs set in¡± Sheughs. ¡± Bloody two stroker, tosses his mate and wonders why he can¡¯t F*ck right,¡± sheughs to herself, and I snort at her foulnguage, trying to hold my own giggle. She sighs, and I smile sadly at her. ¡°So, what¡¯s next for you?¡± She asks. ¡°Unsure, probably go back to my car, see if I can get my old job back, though he said nost time I asked¡± ¡°How about I hire you? I need help here; not that much can be done to save this dump now¡± she laughs, and I look around the room. ¡°What do you think? Or do you think it is too much work? I could always burn it?¡± Vrie says with a laugh. ¡± I have been tempted to, but before me, it was my mother¡¯s, so I am attached to this ce, ¡± she tells me. ¡°I think it just needs a clean-up, new linens and carpets and some paint¡± I could go on, but the list would be never-ending. ¡°So if you are interested, you can live here for free, and I will provide meals and a wage, say 3zs an hour? ¡± She says, and I nearly choke on my spit. I wasn¡¯t even making half that an hour at the Restaurant when I was working. ¡°Are you serious?¡± I ask, a little shocked. ¡°Very, I could use thepany and the help. I don¡¯t even know where to begin, and honestly, I lost motivation to do it years ago. We can fix this one up first for you and Valerian, ¡± she says, looking around. Tears well in my eyes at her generous offer. ¡°Don¡¯t suppose you got any friends; this might even be a bit much for both of us,¡± she mutters, breaking off a piece of the table, the wood crumbling in her hand. I think of Zoe and Macey from the maternity ward. I might know two other girls from the maternity unit; I could try and contact them,¡± ¡°Rogues?¡± She asks, and I nod. ¡°Good, tell them I will give them $25 an hour. I am good for it. I have more money than I can spend in this lifetime, so it would be good to get some help. It would be nice to see this ce up and running again; it used to be the most popr Hotel in the City when my mother had it. Also has a function room out the back, weddings used to be held here but not since it started falling apart.¡± ¡°So no onees out when you ring?¡± I ask her, what is wrong with people? Who would turn her away? ¡°Nope, I organize workers, and they never show up. My mate keeps tabs on my phones; he is paranoid. I know it is he¡¯s doing, ¡± she says with a sigh. ¡°Well then, I will try to call the girls and see if they are looking for work. Would it be an issue if they brought their babies to work?¡± ¡°Of course they can; there is even an old y center off the side of the Restaurant downstairs, we could fix it up for when they are older and can y. Take turns watching them. While they are little, we can just strap the babies to us.¡± ¡°Macey, I know has family, Zoe though I think is like me, she was a little quiet and young, so I am not sure if she could get a sitter.¡± ¡°Well, if either need somewhere to stay, there are plenty of rooms, there are units outback, but they need a lot of work, ¡± She tells me. ¡°Well, I will let you rest, and let me know when the girls can start if they are interested. Come down for breakfast in the morning too. Here¡° She says, handing me a key. ¡°That will let you into my studio, so you have ess to the kitchen if I am not here, which is rare; I have nowhere else to go, ¡° She chuckles. ¡°Thank you, Vrie. You have no idea how much this means to my son and me.¡° ¡°No need to thank me, Everly. So I will see you in the morning, and we will start ordering supplies, should be a pen and paper in the drawer. If the moths haven¡¯t eaten them, write a list of what needs doing that you notice, and we can go over it tomorrow, ¡° She says before looking down at Valerian on the bed. She brushes her finger down his little nose, her eyes softening before she clears her throat and nods to me before walking out. Chapter 11 Chapter 11 I spent all night writing a list for Valerie of everything that I noticed needed doing around the ce, but it was a little challenging, considering I didn¡¯t know what half the ce looked like. I also spent a good chunk of time listing ways to advertise the site once it was up and running. I didn¡¯t even know this ce existed until I drove past it in the taxi on my way back to my car. Lived in this city my entire life, and I never realized there was a hotel on this side of the City and on the main street. Vrie would not need this information until the ce was ready to open, which was a long way off. And that is if it passed the health and safety inspections first because this ce was literally falling apart at the seams. I managed to get a hold of Macey and Zoe; they were keen to find work. Both of them were floored with the amount Vrie was willing to pay them, making me realize it wasn¡¯t just me that was under paid and overworked when I was working, but rogues in general. Macey said her mother would watch her daughter, and Zoe said she would have to bring hers but had a baby carrier and pram she could use. Sixteen -year-old Zoe, I felt terrible for her being so young. Her mother was a rogue but died when she was a child, and she has spent her entire life in and out of child orphanages and refuges. How lonely it would feel to be entirely on your own all your life. I spent over an hour on the phone with her. She sounded miserable where she was. So I ended up going down and speaking to Vrie and asking if it was alright if Zoe shared the room with me. It had a fold -out bed; if Zoe would feel weird about sharing the double with me, Vrie nicely agreed and seemed excited about someone Zoe coining here. The following day, I woke up to Vrie calling out to me, her voice faint as she called out from downstairs. Sitting up, I see Valerian is still asleep, and my mouth falls open when I realize it is nearly 10 am. We slept in. Usually, I am up as soon as the sky lightens when sleeping in my car, around 6 am. ¡±Everly wakey, wakey, ¡±es Vrie¡¯s voice from the other side of the door as she knocks. I quickly rushed to the door, embarrassed that I slept sote. Opening it, Vrie was standing there with smoke between her lips, wearing jeans and a tank top, with a vest that was open, and she had steel cap boots on. She looked ready to kick ass, hopefully not mine. She was one toughdy with a heart of gold. ¡±Finally, you are up. Did you have a good sleep? I didn¡¯t want to wake you, ¡± She says. ¡±I am so sorry¡ª ¡± I go to tell her, but she waves me off. ¡±Don¡¯t worry about that; I turned your rm off and came in with the master key,e,e. I need your help unloading my truck, ¡± She says, walking off toward the stairs. I look back in the room. Valerian sleeps peacefully, and I leave the door open before following her down the stairs in my pajainas. ¡±I have been shopping, couldn¡¯t have Valerian sleeping on that dirty mattress, and now Zoe is coining with her baby. I thought I would grab some things, it turns out I have a shopping problem. Everything was so cute and reminded me of when I went shopping for my son when I had him, ¡± Vrie gushes, her sparkle bright with her excitement. Pointing to the tray of her truck. I blink, shocked. She had indeed been shopping. My hands go to my mouth ¡±Vrie, ¡± I was gobsmacked. I didn¡¯t know what to say; I couldn¡¯t believe she had done all this for two rogue girls she barely knew and one she hadn¡¯t even met yet. There were two cots, two of everything. And everything you could possibly think of, including baby toys, both babies would be a little too young to y with, even baby mobiles and cot sheets and nkets. ¡±Oh, check this out ; this even has a camera so you can watch them while they sleep, ¡± Vrie says, holding up a baby monitor. ¡°Didn¡¯t have these when mine was a youngin, ¡° ¡±I don¡¯t know what to say, this is seriously the nicest thing someone has done for me, and you have already done enough, and I just met you, ¡± I croaked out, bing emotional. Big fat tears roll down my face. How could one woman be so kind? She has shown more kindness in thest 24 hours than I received in the year I have been rogue. ¡±It takes a vige to raise a child; we are going to build our own vige, ¡± Vrie says before pping her hands. ¡±Now, let¡¯s get this stuff up to the room before the delivery truckes. We also need to get that bed out; two new ones arrive around twelve ; what time will the girls get here?¡± ¡°They said ten this morning, ¡° ¡°Well, we better hop to it, then I need a coffee and about ten more of these to build up the motivation,¡° She says, holding up her smoke. I chuckle, and we start undoing the straps holding everything in ce. I was exhausted when I ran thest of it up, the room looking more like a baby store. I shook my head, trying to figure out where the heck Zoe and I were going to put it all. Vrie was having a rest and feeding Valerian a bottle. She was very fond of my son andmented about four or five times already about his eyes. Her fascination with them confused me. Hearing a truck reversing, Valerie hops up, looking out the door and over the balcony. ¡°Now, please tell me that is your car. Otherwise, I have just stolen someone else¡¯s from the train station¡° She giggles. ¡°What?¡° I ask, getting up and walking over to see a tow truck with my car on the back. ¡°Yes, that is my beast; I would have walked back and got it,¡° I told her, feeling bad she wasted money getting it towed. ¡°Nonsense, Phil owed me a favor anyway, picked him up one time when his truck broke down, said he owed me one, and I simply collected,¡° She said. The truck door opens, and a big burly trucker gets out with a beard and balding head. C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. ¡°Val, where do you want it?¡° He calls out to her. ¡°Anywhere, Phil, we have the keys to move it, ¡° She calls back to him. Looking at the time, I see it is nearly ten in the morning. I told the girls I would meet them out front near the curb so they could find the ce easier; they were also unaware there was a hotel here and were confused when I mentioned the address. ¡±Girls should be nearly here, ¡± I tell Vrie , and she waved me off, going back to feeding Valerian and fussing over them. I smile at her. Vrie¡¯s whole attitude seemed different since yesterday. Vrie seemed almost happy. It was almost like she had found a new lease on life. Chapter 12 Chapter 12 Not long after the truck leaves my car in the parking lot, I am waiting on the curb. Zoe got out of the taxi first as it stopped beside me. Zoe pays for the cab, and I help her grab her stuff from the trunk. ¡°I never knew this ce was here,¡° She says, looking up at the vast hotel, ¡°kinda creepy, it looks haunted, ¡° She adds, and I chuckle. ¡°Anyway, I am so d to see you again. I have been so excited I barely slept a winkst night,¡° Zoe tells me, giving me a hug. ¡°So, is this everything?¡° I ask her looking down at the pram and duffle bag. ¡°Yep, that¡¯s everything, our life in a bag. Pathetic, isn¡¯t it?¡° ¡°No, see that piece of scrap metal,¡° I tell her, pointing at my busted wagon. She nods her head. ¡°That was home sweet home, ¡° I tell her, and sheughs. ¡°Seriously, as for baby stuff, don¡¯t even worry about it. Vrie went on a shopping spree. The room is packed with everything, baby. So much so we may have to sleep outside to fit it all in the room,¡° I tell her. ¡°What, really? How long have you known Vrie? ¡° She asks. ¡°Met her yesterday. She is lovely. I have never met anyone like her before, ¡° I tell Zoe, and she smiles just as a green Daihatsu charade pulls up next to us, honking its horn a few times. ¡°Thanks, bro, ¡° Macey says, punching her brother in the shoulder and climbing out before tapping the roof. ¡°Hi, girls, ¡° Her brother calls out, and we both wave to the stranger. ¡°Bugger off, ke, stop hitting on my friends. They aren¡¯t interested, ¡° Macey scolds her brother as he waves to us. Macey flips him off, and heughs, driving off down the road. ¡°Sorry about him. He is a sleaze, so try to stay away from him unless you want another baby,¡° Macey chuckles, shaking her head. ¡°Noted,¡° I tell her, and she quickly hugs us. She had on short shorts and a cut-off shirt showing her belly button, her hair pulled in a bun, and a pair of boots that she said she borrowed from her brother, as well as a tool belt around her hips. ¡°Brother is a handyman, ¡° She tells us when she catches both of us looking at it. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°So this is it, huh, damn, this ce is a dump,¡° Macey says as we stand in the parking lot, looking up at the building. The bones were good mostly, but she was right; it was definitely a dump. ¡°So you girls interested and helping me clean this dump, ¡° Vrie¡¯s voice says from behind us, making us jump. ¡°Holy crap, you scared me; it ah-has potential,¡° Macey says nervously. ¡°For a dump?¡° Vrie asks, her lips tugging up. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean, ¡° Macey goes to say when Vrie waves her off. ¡°It¡¯s a dump; I may be getting older, girlie, but I ain¡¯t blind yet, pretty sure if one of you jumped in that pool over there, you wouldn¡¯te out again, water is probably nuclear, that might actually be that foul smell,¡° She says thoughtfully, before shrugging. ¡°So you all up for the job, I will pay on time, and anything this ce needs, let me know, and I will try order it in, but there is a catch, ¡° She asks, and they both nod. ¡°What¡¯s the catch?¡° Zoe asks. ¡°We arepletely on our own. I have not had one electrician or handyman, even a plumber out here in over ten years. My mate ruined that shit for me, so if you girls have got any friends that are good with that crap, let me know. If not, we will figure it out ourselves, ¡° Vrie tells them. That was going to be hard trying to source help and an electrician being the main thing because I didn¡¯t fancy being electrocuted. ¡°Handyman, my brother. That¡¯s where I got the tool belt and tools, electrician, no idea, ¡° Macey shrugs. ¡°I may be able to help with that, ¡° Zoe says, and we all look at her. ¡°My daughter¡¯s father is an electrician. He is a real asshole now that he found his mate but doesn¡¯t want her to find out he already has a kid. So I will threaten to tell her; he either helps when I ask or finds someone that will, chances are he will probably find someone else, but I know he will do it,¡° Zoe says confidently. ¡°I like you already; you tell him, darl,¡° Vrie says. ¡°So that leaves plumbing which we will figure out, I guess,¡° I tell everyone, and we all nod. ¡°So, what do you want to do first?¡° Macey asks. ¡°First, we fix the girls¡¯ room, so it is liveable, then we will start the others, one at a time, and list everything as we go, ¡° Vrie says, and we all agree, heading up to the room. We stack everything in the bathroom before tossing all furniture over the balcony into the skip bin Vrie had dropped off. Vrie watched the kids in her studio while we got everything out. Once we were done, we then started ripping up the carpet. ¡°Hey Val,¡° Macey calls over the balcony. Vrie must answer because she starts talking again. ¡°Have all these rooms got floorboards under the carpet? I was expecting concrete.¡° ¡°Yeah, why?¡° I looked down at the exposed floorboards, in perfect condition, and just needed a good clean and polish. ¡°Because I don¡¯t think re -carpet, the floorboards are in good condition in this room, if the rest are the same you will save a fortune by rubbing them back and staining them, but if they are like this room they will only need a polish¡° Macey tells her. ¡°Rightio, we will check the otherster and see what rooms can be salvaged.¡° We stripped the smelly carpet out, tossing it in the skip bin. The girls helped me carry the beds and mattresses up when the truck arrived, and the rest of the day was spent scrubbing it from floor to ceiling. While working, Vrie bought us drinks and sandwiches at lunchtime, but we were all stuffed and copsed on Vrie¡¯s lounge in her studio by the time the day ended. ¡°So, how many rooms total are there?¡° Macey asks; I was also curious. It took us an entire day cleaning and fixing one double room, but I hadn¡¯t even walked around the building yet, and Vrie said there were units out the back and a functions room. ¡°Um, good question, ¡° She thinks to herself like she couldn¡¯t remember. ¡°twenty-three rooms, eight units that have four bedrooms in each and also the restaurant, function hall, there is a rear garden too. Honestly haven¡¯t been out the back in at least three or four years, so god knows what you will find back there; it is a jungle out the back. Then the pool area, also there isundry and games room and ycentre downstairs and a bar.¡° ¡°Ah, this is going to kill us, ¡° Macey says, pulling some undey from the carpet out of her hair. She looks at her phone and sighs. ¡°My brother is here to pick me up; I will see you both tomorrow. I think early start, that sun was a killer today?¡° ¡°7 am too early?¡° Vrie asks, and Macey shakes her head. ¡±Nope, perfect, see you all tomorrow, ¡± Macey says, walking out giving us a wave. ¡±Bye, ¡± I called after her. This was an impossible job, so much needed doing, and I just had to remind myself one room at a time. Otherwise, it would be overwhelming. No wonder Valerie couldn¡¯t do it on her own. It was too much for twenty people, and there were four of us and two babies. I sigh, and Vrie suddenly reaches for the TV remote on the coffee table, turning the volume up. It was the news, but I instantly realized what caught her attention. Alpha Valen was once again on the news. A video ys out, and my heart lurches into my throat when I recognize the person he appears to be arguing with. It was my father, both of them screaming at each other in some club , and my father swings at him. His punch barely missing when Alpha Valen steps out of the wayughing at him when suddenly my father shifts. The recording cuts off, and the news anchor says they couldn¡¯t continue ying the video as some viewers may find it distressing. The news then goes on about the old rivalry between my father and the Blood Alpha. Vrie looks over at me nervously. When are they going to get over themselves? Every week one of them is on the news, and quite frankly, I could not care less who the Blood Alpha is dating or who shit on who¡¯s turf, ¡± Zoe says, shaking her head. ¡°That is not the mental image I wanted in my head,¡± I chuckle. ¡°Been going for years; one day, they both may grow up before they lose everything for good,¡± Vrie states, and I nod sadly. Zoe, entirely oblivious to my connection with both Apha¡¯s, sighs. ¡°No wonder the City is doomed with them moron¡¯s running the ce, ¡° ¡°Couldn¡¯t have said it better myself, ¡± Vrie counters. Chapter 13 Chapter 13 Valen POV 2 months Later Her hands kept wing at my clothes as we stumbled into my room. Her fingers fiddling with my buttons and her lips licking and sucking my neck like a leech. Why does every woman¡¯s touch repulse me? I watch as she peels her dress off over her head before giving her a shove making her knees hit the bed. She tumbles backward, and I had to fight the urge tough as her arms iled about. Yeah, that was s*xy, not! Stripping my pants off, I climb on the bed and tear her panties off. She squeals at the sting of thece, but I couldn¡¯t care less. I needed to burn my anger off. Alpha John once again put me in a bad mood tonight. But I was already regretting bringing this bimbo home as I climbed between her legs, shoving her legs apart. I wanted as little of her touching me as possible, yet her hands pawed over me. Ah, let¡¯s just get this over with. She was mauling every inch of me, wrapping her body around me like a damn octopus and trying to suck on my face like a leech. I stared down at my dick, cursing it under my breath and willing the bastard to work. This was bing embarrassing. I was going to be known as the limp dick Alpha. Why the F*ck was I having this problem? I have never in all my years ever suffered from erectile dysfunction. Did I break it? What the F*ck was going on with metely? I thought maybe I was too drunk the first time, but two months have gone by since, and I still can¡¯t get it up. ¡°Baby, what¡¯s wrong?¡± The blonde piece I picked up from the club whines at me. I felt like telling her it was her clinging on to me and touching me with her grubby paws. Bloody whores are always all over me, yet I have had no interest in womentely, F*ck please don¡¯t tell me I am going to be mated to a man ; it is toote to suddenly switch sides; I mentally curse my broken cock. They do nothing for me anymore. And her whining was beginning to aggravate me. ¡°Will you just shut up? Better yet, get the F*ck out !¡± I tell her, bing annoyed. I don¡¯t know if I was annoyed at my broken dick or her whining nasally voice. I should have known better than to hook up with an Omega, such cling ons, but she has nice tits. Too bad her personality was about as interesting as watching paint dry. ¡± Did you not hear me? Get the F*ck out,¡± I snap at her. She jumps from my bed, snatching up her clothes and darting out. Her eyes are wide and tear- filled. F*ck her ! When my bathroom door opens, I flop back down on my bed, and my Beta, Marcus, walks in. ¡°Man, you need to getid. You have been nothing but a prick since that redhead was here.¡± ¡°What redhead?¡± I ask, tossing the nket over to cover myself. ¡°You know the night you booted that rogue girl out of here, ¡± He says, and I try to think back to that night. That was actually thest time I sessfully had s*x. Every other attempt has been a failure. I prop myself up on my elbow. ¡°I think that bitch gave me a disease,¡± I tell him. ¡°Huh, the rogue girl?¡± ¡°No, the redhead, that bitch broke my dick,¡± I snapped, annoyed. Marcusughs, shaking his head. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. ¡°Well, go get tested or something, because if you don¡¯t getid soon, I am seriously thinking of quitting being your Beta,¡± Marcus says, and I scrunch my face up at the idea. No way was I getting anything shoved up my dickhole. Marcus turns about to leave when I notice how he is dressed. All done up like he is about to go on a date. Giving him the once over. He was an alright-looking man, I suppose. He gets about as much pussy as I do. Relief floods me when my dick stays dead, phew definitely not gay. It just means that bitch gave me something. ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°I have a date because my dick still works, so I n on using it,¡± He announces to me. I growl at him, waving him off. Marcus chuckles and leaves; I watch as he walks out of my room before getting up. I jump in the shower trying to wash my annoyance away, my thoughts drifting off the Alpha meeting a year ago. It was a costume party; she was dressed in a fairy outfit and covered in glitter . Her mask covered most of her face, but she had blue-grey eyes and plump, pouty lips. I felt drawn to her the moment she walked onto the dancefloor , the way her hips moved, and she danced like she didn¡¯t have a care in the world. I was like a moth to a me, and we were both obliterated. I wished I knew the woman¡¯s name or which pack she was from to track her down. I have not been able to forget her for some reason. She always randomly popped up in my head, and the way she looked riding my cock and the way her perfect tits bounced above me. I wish she had taken off the mask to picture her better, yet I awoke to her gone. She disappeared, and I had nothing to go on. Peeved was an understatement. Usually, I was the one that did the morning dash before they woke up, but that woman was long gone by the time I woke up, just the faint lingering scent. I awoke to Marcus sitting at the small table drinking coffee and smirking at me. ¡°Cindere slipped away this morning looking rather guilty. It looks like someone finally pulled one over the big bad Alpha,¡± Marcus had mocked me and thenughed, thinking it was hrious. The one-woman I actually wanted to know escaped me. Just the thought of her had my dick stirring to life instantly. I groan, looking down at my hard-on. ¡°Now you decide to work,¡± I growl, annoyed. Getting out, I wrap a towel around me before mumbling and heading back to my bedroom. A growl escapes me when I see the Omega sprawled out lying on my bed. F*cking Marcus ! He must have sent her back up here. Looking down, it was still hard. I shrug. I will just think of my mystery fairy. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± I ask her, and she looks at me like I just proposed to her, bloody Omega¡¯s. I asked for her name, not her hand in marriage. ¡°Tatum, ¡± She tells me while shuffling to the end of my bed too eagerly. ¡°Well, Tatum, you have two seconds to either start sucking my dick or get the F*ck out,¡± I tell her. She drops to her knees in front of me. Her hands reach for my cock, and she wraps her hand around it before wrapping her lips around the tip. I grip her hair before thrusting it into her warm wet mouth. I close my eyes, refusing to look down, knowing the moment I do, it will be over, and I will go limp again. Instead, I thrust into her mouth, thinking of my mystery fairy. Chapter 14 Chapter 14 Everly POV It always came out of nowhere. One minute I am sleeping; the next, I am awoken by agonizing pain. My heart pumping in my chest erratically, and my stomach cramping terribly. I clutch my stomach and bite down on my lip to stop from screaming. I didn¡¯t want to wake Zoe. I know I keep her up at night, and she always hovers worriedly. Usually, it wasn¡¯t too bad, but tonight it was the worst it had been in two months. I knew he was sleeping with someone. I could tell by the pain ratio. Usually, it¡¯s just like an upset tummy, but tonight I felt like my heart was being pulverized and my stomach twisted in knots. I cry out in pain. Unable to help it, and the lights flick on. Zoe wasn¡¯t going to keep believing it was just period pain. Not after tonight. ¡± Everly, Everly, ¡± She shrieks, shaking me, but all I could do was cry out and grit my teeth while clutching my stomach. The pain was crippling. ¡°Should I call an ambnce? I don¡¯t know what to do. I will get Vrie.¡± ¡°No, I am fine,¡± I gasp before sweat starts beading on my forehead. I feel a draft hit me, and cold air sweeps into the room. Please don¡¯tst long; please stop. I beg the Moon Goddess to make it go away. How was I expected to handle this for the rest of my life? Would it always be this bad? I start sobbing, big fat tears rolling down my cheeks. I hated that Zoe would have to see me this way, hated that he made me feel this, hated him for what he made me endure nearly every night on some level, but this was worse because I knew he was actually having s*x this time, not just fooling around. I know he was having s*x, he was with another woman, and that woman wasn¡¯t me. Why did I have to be punished for his actions? Warm hands rub up and down my arms before Vrie¡¯s scent wafts to me; the pain grows worse with each second that goes past, making me scream, how did Vrie survive this shit for decades? ¡°I know sweetie, Just breathe, Everly, ¡± Vrie tells me, and I try to focus on her voice to distract from the intense pain. ¡°I think we should call an ambnce. Her pain is worse this time. What if something is seriously wrong with her?¡± Zoe asks Vrie. ¡°She will be fine; it will be over soon.¡± ¡°What will be over soon?¡± Zoe stutters, and I could hear the concern in her voice as I writhed in pain. ¡°The mate bond, he is with someone, and it is causing her pain,¡± Vrie exins to her. I would be mad if anyone else spilled my secrets, but I can¡¯t be mad at Vrie after everything she has done to help us. ¡°She met her mate?¡± Zoe says, her voice soft as a murmur. ¡°Who do you think Valerian¡¯s father is? He is her mate.¡± ¡°But why is she a rogue-whore then, and why would he do that?¡± Zoe says, and I see her cringe over the word we all hated so much. I blink back tears, nausea bubbling in my stomach. ¡°She didn¡¯t know when she fell pregnant, and I am afraid her parents would hate her more if they knew who the father was, ¡± Vrie exins. Vrie and I had no secrets; she knew everything now. I trusted her more than anyone. She had be like a mother to me. She supported us through everything, and she never turned me away in the two months I have been here. I am closer to her than I ever was with my own mother. ¡°Breathe, Everly, deep breaths, and try to sit up for me,¡± Vrie says. I groan, and she helps me up. She hands me my bottle of water off the nightstand, cracking the lid for me before thrusting pills in my hands. ¡°They will take the edge off,¡± She tells me, and I rock back and forth. My hands are shaking, and I spill water all over me. Zoe grabs the bottle from my hands, and I shove the pills in my mouth, not even questioning what they are. I trusted Vrie with my life. Zoe brings the bottle to my lips, and I sip it, swallowing the pills down. Tears brim in her eyes as she looks at me sadly. ¡°Go find a hot water bottle; there should be one under my kitchen sink, ¡± Vrie tells Zoe, and she darts out of the room. ¡°I can¡¯t do this, I can¡¯t keep living like this,¡± I cry to Vrie. ¡°I wish I could take it from you, sweety I do, I know how hard it is, but you will get through this, you have got through so much by yourself already, just remember who you are, you are better than him, better than what he makes you feel,¡± Vrie says. ¡°I wou1dn¡¯t be where I am without you, ¡± I tell her. ¡°The Moon Goddess brought us together for a reason. She won¡¯t let history repeat itself; you will find happiness, Everly. She won¡¯t turn her back on you too,¡± Vrie says. I find her words strange but can¡¯t make sense of much and figure I misheard her as another wave of crippling pain washes over me. Zoe returns with a hot water bottle and ces it on my stomach. The pain eases off again, and I pray it stays away. Please be finished, please be done, I pray, sucking in a deep breath. The following day I woke upter than usual. Zoe and Vrie let me sleep in afterst night. Sitting up, I spot Zoe sitting on the floor on the rug with Valerian and Casey, her daughter. One in each arm while she fed them a bottle. ¡°Tandem feeding,¡± I chuckle, and she nods, looking up at me before smiling sadly. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me? It makes so much sense now, ¡± She says. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to talk about it; I don¡¯t like talking about his father. He didn¡¯t recognize me and tossed me away,¡± I told her. I tried going back to tell him a couple of weeks ago. Vrie told me to try to speak with him again, but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to do it. I just kept remembering the look on his face. The way he screamed at me and Vrie¡¯s story scared me even more. What if he tried to take Valerian from me like her mate did to her. I had no title anymore, my wolf pathetically weak and so small compared to what I should be. I was a rogue, hardly Luna material now. Vrie said the longer she went without her mate, the harder it became to shift before she no longer could. Being rogue also doesn¡¯t help, making us weaker prey and easy pickings. I don¡¯ t know how she has endured this torture for years. I finally saw the man she called her mate. I never saw his face, butst week I saw his BMW pull up and watched him sneak into the office with his own key. Then the next morning, I watched him leave again; I hated what he did to her. I saw her heartbreak as he left again, and for three days afterward, she could barely get out of bed. She was depressed, and the only thing that worked was me asking her to help with Valerian. I refuse to be some side piece; I would rather die than live the torment Vrie does. I loved her, but I now understood why she couldn¡¯t maintain this ce. Him popping in and out of her life affected her more profoundly than she was willing to admit. Each time though, I noticed she grew weaker. Each time he lef t, her mind became fragile for days after. She even suffered nose bleeds and tremors. It was almost like watching someone suffer from withdrawals. ¡°I will make some coffee. Do you want some?¡± I ask, and Zoe nods her head, and I turn to our small kitchte. Our room waspletely functional, floors were re-stained and polished, the room repainted, curtains removed, and blinds put in their ce. Thanks to Macey¡¯s brother, the rickety old pipes were fixed, and in thest two months, we had stripped and fixed all the rooms on the top floor. We were far from done, but each passing day showed progress, and the smile on Vrie¡¯s face was worth every ache, sprain, and splinter. Vrie said we could take the day off today if you don¡¯t feel up to it,¡± Zoe tells me. ¡°No, I need to work to keep my mind off him,¡± I tell her. She nodded her head, and I hated seeing the sadness in her eyes when she looked at me. I know she was worried, but it made me feel weak and vulnerable. ¡°You have us; we have our vige,¡± Zoe says. Vrie told Zoe the same thing, we were building our vige. The more work we got done, I believed she was right. We were definitely building something. We just had to remember not to give up. But with the girls and Vrie, I knew I had found friends for life, created my own family. I missed my sister terribly, but not once has she called, and mum changed her number. I was the forgotten child. I no longer existed in their world, no longer had a ce in their lives. I cried for a good hour when that realization hit. Vrie found me on the stairs after I tried for the hundredth time to contact my mother or sister; I just wanted to hear their voices, to know I wasn¡¯t forgotten. ¡°Their loss if they can¡¯t see how amazing you are,¡± Vrie said. She sat beside me on the steps holding my hands. ¡°You don¡¯t need them; they aren¡¯t wasting tears on you, so don¡¯t waste your tears on them; they don¡¯t deserve them, ¡± She told me. Hearing a knock on the door. I get up and open it. Macey walks in before reaching down and taking Valerian from Zoe. She looks at me smiling sadly, and I know Zoe told her, yet I have no anger at my secret being out. I should have told them already. ¡°So, will you tell us now? I know Vrie knows, but she won¡¯t spill no matter how many times we ask, we won¡¯t judge, I swear, ¡± Macey says, and I knew they wouldn¡¯t, but it was me that wasn¡¯tfortable, me judging myself. But they were right; I could trust them; they deserved to know. It kind of felt like a relief and made the following words leave my lips easier, and it felt freeing. The girls had so many questions over thest two months, I kept my secrets close to my heart. Their biggest was what pack I came from, I knew all their secrets, but I was ashamed of mine for some reason. They noticed my Alpha aura dwindling, and now it was non-existent. Now they had another secret added to the list. I refused to tell them the father of my child was my mate. I was ashamed and thought they would think less of me because my mate didn¡¯t want me. ¡°I am the oldest daughter of Alpha John of the Shadow Pack,¡± I tell them, and they both gasp. ¡°You¡¯re Alpha John¡¯s disgraced daughter?¡± Macey gasps. ¡°Wait, I thought he only had one daughter. She was due to be the next Alpha?¡± Zoe says. ¡°Nope, he is my father, and when he found I was pregnant, he told me to abort to cover it up; I said no obviously, so he shunned me and banished me, stripping me of my title, I was supposed to take over the pack when I turned eighteen.¡± ¡°Well damn, I feel like I should bare my neck in submission. I knew you had Alpha genes but didn¡¯t think you were from the second biggest pack. I thought you transferred into the rogue poption from another city,¡± Macey admits. I chuckle at her as she bounces on the edge of the bed, burping Valerian. ¡°d I was sitting down for that news, ¡± She mutters, nudging Zoe with her knee. ¡°Well, remain seated because if you find that scandalous, you are about to have a heart attack at what I tell you next,¡± I tell them. ¡°Scandalous? Youe from one of the most influential families in the City. How would we not be shocked by that, and what could be more shocking?¡± Zoe says, shaking her head. I suck in a deep breath. ¡°Valerian¡¯s father is Alpha Valen from Dark Blood Pack. He is also my mate,¡± I tell them, their jaws nearly hitting the floor. Macey¡¯s head turns slowly, her mouth wide open as she stares at Valerian before holding him up in the air. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°You mean to say that I am holding the spawn of Satan himself, that this cute little boyes from the nutsack of the most vicious Alpha in the City and the notorious yboy himself?¡± Macey says, holding Valerian like she expected him to turn into his father and rip her to pieces. ¡°Yep, and that¡¯s it. No other secrets, you know the rest.¡± ¡°That does exin the eyes. Doesn¡¯t his family have some gic thing with eyes? I think I read that somewhere?¡± Macey says. ¡°You¡¯re worried about his eyes?¡± Zoe says, looking at Macey before turning back to me. ¡°Your mate and the father of your child is your father¡¯s biggest rival. Damn girl, you really don¡¯t do things half-assed; you go all in messing shit up, don¡¯t ya¡± Zoeughs. I chuckle as she looks me up and down. ¡°Yep, the Moon Goddess definitely stuffed me over, that¡¯s for sure; bad enough, he is my mate, but he also had to be my father¡¯s biggest enemy.¡± ¡°Count yourself lucky your father banished you. Could you imagine if the Blood Alpha knew you were Alpha John¡¯s daughter and had his son, it would start a war, the City would be a bloodbath, and your father probably would have killed you,¡± Macey says, and I had to agree, maybe things really are working out for the best. Chapter 15 Chapter 15 10 monthster Weeks turned into months, and the Hotel was nearly unrecognizable. It was just four rogue women and three babies doing what I thought was impossible when we started. At times we saw no end in sight, and all of us wanted to give up. Fix one thing, find another issue, yet we managed it. We had four days before the health and safety inspector came out to check our progress, the first time he came out. He gave us a list of issues and snorted hisugh at us when we told him it was only us fixing it up. He shook his head and said it was impossible and that the ce should be bulldozed. Nearly a year had passed, in that time , we had fixed all the hotel rooms into immacte rooms that simply matched or surpassed the other Hotels in the City. Macey and I went hotel shopping, as we called it, and sussed out the other Hotels in the City. We hired a room for a night to see the services and check out the rooms and decoration to develop our own ideas. The function room was one thing most of the Hotels didn¡¯t have, whereas ours was big enough to hold weddings and formal functions. Walking into the function room, it looked like something out of a fairytale wedding. Twinkling fairy lights hung from the ceiling joining in the center to a crystal chandelier which was one the most expensive thing Vrie paid for but the centerpiece of the room. We had done it up as a winter wondend inside, elegant yet also sophisticated if needed, depending on the function. All the hotel rooms were transformed, the pool area was restored, and the property¡¯s gardens were trimmed and well maintained. In the rear gardens, we found four water fountains that still worked. After a good tidy up, it had a tropical oasis feel. The restaurant in the main building was fully functional, and all appliances have been removed and reced with better stainless steel and energy- efficient ones. It had a children¡¯s y area that was fully enclosed and would eventually offer child minding services for employees and those staying in the Hotel. We still had so much to do, but our most challenging task was passing the health and safety inspection and finding people to help run the ce. We had made do with just fixing it up with little help from Zoe¡¯s child¡¯s father and Macey¡¯s brother. We still needed more workers to run this ce. Four women couldn¡¯t be everywhere at once. Sr panels had been ced on every building to save money on the power for running the ce when it eventually opened. All that was left was the front gardens and painting the exterior, which was nearly done, but we had just run out of paint. Macey¡¯s brother was currently trimming the front hedges, and Macey was mowing the lawn with the ride-on mower she borrowed from her neighbor. Then on top of all the renovations. Three nights a week, I went to themunity college on the street behind us, and Vrie paid for my business courses, Monday, Wednesday, Friday, I attended campus. I only had one month left, and I will have finished my studies in ounting, business management, and admin, I just hoped I lived up to Valerie¡¯s expectations. Since meeting Vrie and her taking us in, for the first time I was hopeful for the future and excited for what it would bring. ¡±You ready, Everly? I want to get back quickly. Hopefully, we will have enough daylight to finish thatst side, ¡± Zoe calls out to me. ¡±Yeah, I am ready when you are, ¡± I call back to her while climbing in Vrie¡¯s truck. Zoe climbs in the passenger side, and I start the old beast up. Valerie waves from the top balcony with Valerian and Caasey in her arms, smiling and babbling happily as we turn onto the road head for the hardware store. ¡±I am beginning to worry about Valerie, ¡± Zoe says, and I hum in agreement. She had be so iltely. ¡±Yeah, me too, I tried to convince her to go see the doctorst week, but she refused as always, ¡± I tell her. Zoe shakes her head and sighs. Last week I walked in on Valerie during one of her coughing fits, only this time it was much different as she wiped her mouth with her tissue covered in blood. When I confronted her about it and urged her to seek medical help, she said it had been happening for over a year now and not to worry. I worried, and it was all made worse each time her mate stopped in to see her. I had been there nearly a year, and he was like a ghost. I saw his care and go, but I was yet to see the man¡¯s face even after a year. Zoe and I called him the faceless Alpha. That was the only thing we figured out about him, and that was only by the apparent Alpha vibes he gave off. ¡±Do you worry that he is slowly killing her, that all this time coining and going is killing her? ¡± Zoe asks. I say nothing because I know her mate was the reason she was so sick; I had already noticed it with myself. So going decades without your mate must be pure agony because I felt it with Valen already, and it had been months, not years. I felt every time he was with a woman, each time it killed me a little more. Each time I shifted, my wolf form was weaker, a little smaller. My health deteriorated; I was always sick with the flu or stomach issues, and no matter how much I ate, I could never put on weight. My hair fell out in clumps sometimes, especially when he had been busy fooling around with women. Other times I felt drunk, making me question if he was an alcoholic. So I could only imagine how badly Vrie suffered after decades of this torture. The more time went on, the more I felt him, and it was horrible. It was like the mate-bond was pulling me toward him, and resisting took its toll on me. He had no idea; I tried to reach out to him, fear of him taking Valerian stopped me each time. Valerian is mine; I raised him, I looked after him, and I would be damned if I let him take him from me like Vrie¡¯s mate did to her. Pulling into the car park of the hardware store, Zoe and I hop out of the car, paint code in hand and the cash for the paint. ¡±We need a new paint tray too ; I cracked the other one by ident, ¡± Zoe says as we step into the store. ¡°You grab the paint; I will grab the tray, ¡° I tell her, and we split off down different aisles. Walking down the paint section, I looked for the correct paint tray. It needed to be big enough for the roller brushes, finding it. I grab a spare just in case. Heading back to the front of the store, I see Zoe waiting in line; she smiles at me, and I step over next to her. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. ¡°Four Litres should be enough?¡° She asks. ¡°Yes, plenty and should have some spare, not much left to do now,¡° I tell her, turning to the front. My heart skips a beat when his scent wafts to me. My heart thumps erratically, and I swallow as I stare at the man¡¯s frame in front of me. Tall and intimidating as ever. I would recognize that scent anywhere as I stared at the back of his head. Emotion choked me as I observed him. Zoe was talking away, completely oblivious to me, trying to keep myself together. I watch as he steps up to the counter to be served. Talking casually to the man behind the counter and he pays for his things before turning around and noticing me. He stops looking me up and down. I gulp, looking up to meet the eyes of my father. We kind of stood there for a second, and I waited for him to say something. My mouth was suddenly so dry I couldn¡¯t say a word. I hadn¡¯t seen him since the night I found out the blood Alpha was my mate, since the night he made me sit out in the rain before kicking me off his territory and telling me to nevere back. Despite all that, I missed my father, but the look of indifference on his face was enough to say he didn¡¯t miss me. He snarls, his top lip lifting over his teeth as he looks me over before looking at Zoe, who had finally noticed Alpha John. The 2nd most intimidating man in the City and also my father. I opened my mouth to try to say something, to ask how mum is but before I could say anything, he turned and walked out the door. Not one word, nothing. The look of disgust on his face was the same as when he found out I was pregnant. I blink back tears before regathering myself and stepping up to the counter with Zoe. She doesn¡¯t bother saying anything. What could she say? It would change nothing. It was one thing when any of us went out, and we got the stares for being ¡°Rogue-Whores¡° from everyone else, but my own father, my own flesh and blood, it hurt more. I just wanted him to care, maybe ask how his grandson is or how his daughter is. Instead, I got nothing but a look of disgust, like I was a piece of gum that stuck on his shoe and that stung. I was nobody to him. Getting in the car, I look out the windshield to see his car. Refusing to let it get to me, I drive off, not even ncing back. The car is silent when Zoe reaches over and squeezes my knee gently, letting me know I am not alone. Pulling up at the Hotel, I let out a breath. I was home. This was home and all I needed. All I needed was Valerian and our small vige family. A family we made, not blood, my father proved there is more to family than just blood. Family is those that are there for you when the rest of the world turns their back on you. That is family. Unclipping my seatbelt, we got back to work, and I was more determined to prove I could do this without his help. Chapter 16 Chapter 16 Another two monthster. Today was the day, thest inspection to say whether or not all our hard work had paid off. Macey, Zoe, and I watched as Vrie talked to the health and safety inspector from the balcony. He had walked around the entire building with his measuring tape and torch, his clipboard tucked under his arm and pen behind his ear as he went over every nook and cranny in this ce. We secretly called him the birdman. His nose looked more like a beak, his beady little eyes too far apart. Macey snorts when a gust of wind has him clutching his toupee. It was chocte brown and not even close to the greying on the sides of his head. Vrie watched over his shoulder as he wrote on his clipboard on the frontwn, giving the ce onest scrutinizing look before shaking his head in disbelief. He tears off the piece of paper and hands it to Vrie, who stares at it. He walks over to his red sedan and climbs in while Vrie stares at the form. ¡°Come on, we should go see what birdman says needs doing this time, ¡° says Macey. Zoe and I went to retrieve our kids from our room, who yed happily in their ypen with their blocks. Scooping up Valerian, I set his feet on the ground, and we carefully walked down the steps to the ground floor. He started walking earlier than expected. Last month he just stood up and took his first steps. He was pretty smart for his age. Vrie is still standing in the yard, staring up at the Hotel. As we approached her, a look, I couldn¡¯t decipher painted her face. ¡°He said four rogue women would never aplish anything on our own without help,dies, ¡° Vrie says, and I sigh, wondering what he has told her needs fixing. We stop beside her and look back at the huge building. No more peeling paint, the exterior white with blue and light grey trims, the hedges cut to perfection, the roof painted a deep grey, flowers hung from the top, and flowers along the hand railings. It looked like a brand new ce. I lost track of the number of times doubts rained down on us, but now standing out the front looking upon the building a yearter. I realized all the blood, sweat, tears, and frustration, and anger when people refused to help, were all worth it. Four rogue women with no future, no help, and just pure determination gave this run-down Hotel a new life. Every callous, every blister, every cut and graze was all worth it, every sleepless night. It all paid off, and seeing the look on Vrie¡¯s face was priceless. She was a tough woman, with an even tougher exterior, yet not even she could hide her emotion as we stared at what we aplished. ¡°So, what¡¯s the verdict?¡° I ask, staring at our hard work. ¡°The verdict,dies, is we are now open for business,¡° Vrie says casually. ¡°Well, we will get it done. We can- ¡° Macey starts to say before stopping. I look at Valerie, her lips tugging up at the corners, and Macey looks around me at her. It took a few seconds for her words to register. ¡±Wait, you said?¡± Macey asks before stopping. ¡±I said we are open for business; we did it, girls, ¡± Vrie says, and we all erupt in squeals of joy, jumping up and down excitedly. Macey Howls loudly, and we join her. It must have been a sight from the road to see four women standing near the road howling at the sun and cheering, but we didn¡¯t care. We did it. We did the impossible. But most of all, we proved to ourselves that we could do anything with a bit of determination and probably stubbornness, hard work. We had proven to everyone who said it was impossible that they were wrong and that we were more than just four rogue whores with an unrealistic idea. That unrealistic idea was now real and standing in front of us, showing us we were capable of so much more than anyone believed of us. Laughing and walking back to celebrate with the kids, we talked about advertising and hiring. I had an idea. I ran that idea past Vriest month, and now we only needed a chef for the restaurant when things kicked off. Four rogue single mothers made this ce what it is, so sticking to that, we decided that everyone we hired would be rogue women. A hotel owned and run by rogues, the cities less desirable. Vrie loved the idea, so Macey, Zoe, and I went to everymunity center and put out wordst month that Vrie was hiring. The next day the lineup went halfway down the street. It was hard work interviewing everyone, but once we opened, we had fifty staff on rotational shifts. All that was needed was a head chef. But for now, Vrie and I would have to make do , Vrie was an excellent cook and had been teaching me, and that would have to be good enough until we find someone. Walking into the restaurant, Vrie walks out back to grab a bottle of wine while I hold the sses. Hearing a cough, I pause, looking out the doors leading to the storerooms. C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. ¡±Are you okay, Val?¡± I ask before I hear more coughing. ¡±Val?¡± I ask while walking into the storerooms. I see Vrie hunched over, having a coughing fit, the worst one I had seen her have as she gasped for air. The wine sses slipped from my hands, shattering on the tiled floor when I saw her copse. It was like watching everything in slow motion as I saw her clutch the steel shelf, her hand covered in blood. Vrie turns to look at me, no doubt to tell me not to worry when she coughs again. Blood sprays from her lips and dribbles down her chin as her eyes zed over, and she was falling , her skin pasty and covered in a cold sweat. I screamed as I saw her tumble to the floor as I raced toward her trying to get to her in time, but she crashed against the floor. ¡±Vrie ! ¡± I shriek as I clutch her, her hand weakly grabbing my arm as I pull her head into myp. ¡°Call an ambnce,¡° I scream out. Vrie starts choking, her hand clutching my arm as I turn her head so she doesn¡¯t choke on her own blood while she gasps for breath. ¡°Hang on, Val, help ising, ¡° I tell her as Zoe races in, grabbing Valerian as he walks out and nearly walks over the broken ss. Zoe holds both babies, clutching them as she looks on in horror as Vrie lay gasping for air. Macey is talking frantically on the phone to emergency services while I look down at her in my arms. ¡°It¡¯s okay, you¡¯ll be okay,¡° She says as she gasps. Tears stream down my face as I hold her hands. Holding the hands of the woman who had the biggest heart in the world. I admired her strength, a woman I saw bigger than life and gave me a home. My heart broke when she squeezed my arm, trying tofort me even though she was the one that neededforting. ¡°They will be here in twenty minutes. They are t out, ¡° Macey says, pacing. Twenty minutes? I knew it would be because she is rogue; no one cares for rogues, not even the health system. Vrie turns her face to look up at me and smiles sadly. ¡°Where is Valerian?¡° She gasps, barely audible, and I look over at Zoe. ¡°He¡¯s here,¡° I tell her. Macey grabs him bringing him over so she can see him. Macey stops next to her, kneeling next to us. ¡°He looks so much like his father,¡° Vrie tells me; I nod, wiping the tears that were dripping off my chin. Valerian pats her arm, not understanding, and Vrie smiles. I move her hand for her so she can touch his little foot that was beside her, she closes her eyes, and I see a tear slip down her cheek. ¡°I am so proud of you girls,¡° Vrie croaks out, and we all nod, all of us crying and blubbering messes as we watch one of the most inspirational women we know suffer. ¡°Don¡¯t speak like that; you will be fine. Help is on the way,¡° I tell her. Vrie coughs; more blood spills from her lips that were a bluish tinge. Zoe hands me some paper towels, I wipe her mouth with shaky hands. ¡°Not this time Evie¡° She replies. My lips quiver, and my heart breaks at her words because deep down, I knew it; I just didn¡¯t want her to go. I knew I should have pushed harder for her to see the doctor. Biting down on my lip to try to stop it from trembling. ¡°Listen to me, Evie, I need you to promise,¡° She says, and I shake my head. ¡°I will listen when you¡¯re better, then you can tell me, then I will promise you anything,¡° I tell her. ¡°Look after my grandson for me, you promise me that, you promise not to let my son break you like his father did me¡° She gasps. ¡°What?¡° I choked out while trying to hold it together and failing terribly. ¡°The eyes, he has my son¡¯s eyes, you look after him for me. You fight for him, promise you will fight for both of them, ¡° She says before coughing and sputtering. She grabs my hand harder as her body starts heaving violently. ¡±Shh, shh, hold on, Val, ¡± I tell her, hugging her and holding her when she stops, her body expelling what little air was left in her lungs, blood sttering across my shirt and arms. ¡±I promise , ¡± I whisper into her hair, and I kiss her head just as I hear the sirens racing up the street toward us. Zoe races out to get them when I feel her hand fall limp on my arm, and I know she is gone. Her head rolled in my arms, falling back, pulling away I looked down at her. Her face was ck, and the color had gone as shey limp in my arms. Paramedics rush in with Zoe, who stops in the doorway, and I look at her and shake my head. The paramedics race to work on her. I got out of their way and took Valerian from Macey as we watched helplessly while they tried to revive her. Ten minutes they worked on her, and I handed Valerian to Macey; she followed Zoe out and to our room tofort her. A few minutester, a man rushes in wearing a tailored suit. I knew instantly it was her mate. He stops in the doorway, and I immediately see the resemnce between him and Valen¡¯s, his son. That was also when I noticed his amber eyes were the same as Valerian¡¯s. He stood there staring down at her as they kept trying to revive her. Eventually, they stopped. There was no bringing her back. He falls to his knees, clutching his dark hair and falling apart. He did this; this was his fault. I knew I didn¡¯t have to tell him because he knew it too. I watched as he broke and felt nothing but numb. Vrie gave me so much and had been my rock for so long. Now she was gone because of the man falling apart in front of me. All because he refused to mark and love her. Wiping my tears, paramedics were on the phone with someone when they brought the stretcher in. I watched as they wheeled her out, thinking of what she told me and promising myself I would not let him kill me as his father did her. He will not take my son as her mate did to her. I will live for Valerian; I won¡¯t let history repeat itself. Chapter 17 Chapter 17 A weekter, Alpha Kalen, Vrie¡¯s mate , stood across from me as we watched her get lowered into the ground at the rogue cemetery. Zoe and Macey stood beside me, and Macey¡¯s mother watched our kids at the Hotel for us. Four people and the tow truck driver were the only people who attended and herwyer. I tried my best not to look at the man responsible for her death. We all spoke, sharing our stories with Vrie; her mate said nothing and remained silent. I wondered what he was thinking. Did he hate himself as much as I hated him? To do this to such a wonderful woman angered me. The coroner said she died from organ failure caused by the mate bond; there were no other health issues or any exnations. It pissed me off that he was healthy and alive because he was an Alpha and male, while she was dead because she was unmarked and female. It felt wrong that women die from neglect of the mate bond. It scared me because my health was already suffering, and if I wasn¡¯t careful, this could be me. When we got the report, Macey and Zoe also voiced their concerns, saying I should just mark and mate someone, so I didn¡¯t end the same way. The coroner was shocked and said he had only seen two cases before because most people keep their mates. He also questioned and asked if we knew who the mate was to inform them. Kalen, Vrie¡¯s mate , and Valen¡¯s father said he had no idea as we sat in the office while giving me a pointed look, warning me to not say anything. That meant he saw me when I would catch himing and going from the Hotel sneaking in like a thief in the night. I couldn¡¯t understand why he bothereding that day if he wasn¡¯t even going to acknowledge she was his mate. How did he exin his reasoning for being there? Though I could tell not even the coroner believed whatever bullshit Kalen fed him. I was listed as her next of kin which I was shocked about but d to get some answers either way. Shaking the memory away, I listen to the priest, and when the service is finished, I watch as Kalen speaks to thewyer for a second before turning on my heel and following Macey back to her car when I hear my name being called. ¡°Everly? Which one of you girls is Everly?¡° Comes a deep voice. We all stop, and I look back at the immactely dressed man. He was an older gentleman, around Kalen¡¯s age. Kalen¡¯s lips were pressed in a line as he followed after thewyer jogging over to us. ¡°I am, ¡° I tell him. He stops holding out his hand to me, and I shake his hand while he catches his breath. ¡°My name is Joseph. I am Valerie¡¯swyer. Do you mind if I speak to you for a second?¡° He says, pointing over to a pic table under the trees by the parking lot. ¡°Ah, yeah, sure,¡° I tell him, wondering what he wanted. ¡°We will wait for you at the car, Everly, ¡° Macey calls out, and I nod, waving at her. Sitting on the bench seat. Joseph pulls some sses from the inside pocket of his suit jacket, putting them on before digging through his briefcase. Kalen sits beside him, also curious. ¡°Why the girl, what does she have to do with anything?¡° Kalen asks. ¡°Just wait, please, Alpha Kalen. I will exin. About six months ago, Vrie came to see me, to change her will,¡° Joseph says. My brows pinch together, and I look at Kalen, who was ring at me. ¡°Ah, here it is, this is her current will, this is for you, ¡° He says, handing me an envelope. I noticed Valerie¡¯s handwriting, the front of the envelope read ¡®For Everly¡¯ Looking back at Joseph, I nodded, thinking that was it, about to get up. ¡°Thank you, ¡° I tell him, about to leave. ¡°Everly, I am not finished. Vrie was very insistent and went to a lot of trouble to make sure her will could not be contested or changed,¡° Joseph says, looking over at Kalen. ¡°I am not understanding, ¡° I tell him. Joseph smiles sadly before tugging on his tie and ncing nervously at Alpha Kalen. ¡°I have known Vrie for thirty years and considered her a good friend, and I am aware of who you are to her, Kalen,¡° Kalen growls, and Joseph puts a finger up, standing up to the man. I was able to see Joseph truly cared for Vrie. ¡°I signed a non-disclosure to not let that information out, Vrie saw to that, but since Everly here is aware of who you are and what you are to Vrie, I have not broken that or intend to, but that is why I must warn you, Kalen. If you contest this will I have here, Vrie has measures in ce that if you fight Everly, it will be made public information that the Blood Alpha¡¯s father let his mate die because of her status, ¡° ¡°Status? I f*cking loved her¡° ¡°Obviously not enough to look past her being Omega,¡° I snapped before I could stop myself. ¡°Don¡¯t pretend to know me, girl.¡° ¡°I don¡¯t need to know you, nor do I want to, Kalen. Your actions showed me plenty of your character, ¡° I tell him, and he growls at me. Ignoring him, I turn my attention back to Joseph. ¡°What has this got to do with me?¡° I ask him. ¡°Well, I need you to sign some documents, ¡° ¡°What sort of documents?¡° I ask him. ¡°Vrie left everything to you and your son Valerian, everything Everly. The Hotel, her bank ounts, her family¡¯s money, a considerable amount, everything she owns now belongs to you, ¡° Joseph tells me. I swallow, looking up at the tree I was sitting under and blinking back tears. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. ¡°Vrie was a very wealthy woman, Everly, and everything is now yours, ¡° Joseph says, and I sniffle. Kalen growls and punches the table. Joseph jumps when Kalen stands up before storming off toward his car. I stare after him before turning back to face thewyer. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about him, Everly. This is what Vrie wanted, and I have known Kalen for a long time. He won¡¯t risk his reputation to fight this, so what I need from you are some signatures, ID, and bank ount details, ¡° Joseph says, handing me a pen. I take the pen from him, pointing out where to sign. When I am done, he gives me the deed to the Hotel. ¡°You just became the new owner of Mountain View Hotel; I look forward to seeing you aplish great things, Everly. Vrie told me all about you and her grandson¡° I opened my mouth, ncing around for Kalen, he was gone already, and Joseph put a finger to his lips. ¡°Secret¡¯s safe with me Everly, Vrie was a very depressed woman when I met her; in thest year, I haven¡¯t seen her happier. You and Valerian did that,¡° He says, standing up. I shake his hand. ¡°I will bring some other paperwork over during the week,¡° He says, and I nod, watching him leave before looking down at the deed and the envelope in my hand. ¡°Thank you, ¡° I whisper to her, hoping she can hear me wherever she is. Vrie just ensured Valerian¡¯s future, and I could never thank her enough for what she has given us, but I would trade it all in a heartbeat to have her back with us. Chapter 18 Chapter 18 Valen POV 4 years Later I stared at my father as he gave me one of his many lectures. It irritated me that he thought he could still dictate my life. My secretaryes in, cing a steaming cup of coffee on my desk as he droned on before handing him one. He sips it before leaning forward and putting it on my desk, the sight instantly irritating me. Two f*cking inches away, he knows how much I hate it. I grab his mug and ce it on the coaster before sitting back. ¡°You need to sort your life out Valen, you are getting too old to be messing around constantly with these whores you y with and getting blind drunk every night. If I had known you would be this irresponsible, I never would have handed the pack over to you,¡° ¡°My personal life is none of your business; I am a good Alpha,¡° ¡°You are a f*cking drunk, ¡° He bellows at me, and I smack the table with my fist. His anger instantly died down. ¡°I am just saying you are twenty-nine -years -old, just find some bitch and mark her so she can spit out an heir for the Pack,¡° ¡°Not happening; the only person I have kids with is my mate, ¡° I tell him. ¡°29 years, and you still haven¡¯t found her. Give up on the idea and just choose a woman. At this rate, you will be my age by the time you have your first child Valen, this isn¡¯t about you. It is about your pack, ¡° He says. My father growls at me, I lean back in my chair, grabbing the document off my desk to look at it when Marcus walks in. Relief floods me at seeing him. He bows his head to my father. ¡°Alpha Kalen, ¡° He says to his former Alpha. ¡°Your dismissed father, ¡° I tell him, wanting him gone. He was making my headache worse. ¡°You can¡¯t just dis- ¡° ¡°I already did, ¡° I tell him, cutting him off. He rises from his chair before grabbing his mug and sculling it. He then ces it down and storms out. My eyes are on the mug when Marcus moves it back onto the coaster, knowing how crazy it makes me. ¡°You find out why sales dropped on all our Hotels? ¡° I ask him, turning back to the document in my hand of the report. ¡°I did, and I am going to check it out myself, ¡° Marcus says, making me ce the document down. ¡°Check what out?¡° I ask him, confused. ¡°We havepetition,¡° Marcus says, dumping some paperwork on my desk or actually a brochure. Picking it up, I stare down at it. ¡°Mountainview Hotel,¡° ¡°Since when?¡° I ask him. ¡°Look at the star rating, ¡° I nce down and see it has a Five-star rating, and I read some of the reviews. ¡°Where has this ce been built?¡° ¡°That¡¯s the thing; it has always been there, under new management apparently. And you won¡¯t believe it.¡± ¡°Believe what?¡° I ask him. ¡°It¡¯spletely run by rogues,¡° he answers, shocking me further. ¡°I have never noticed this ce, and I grew up in the City, ¡° I tell him, not believing it is possible. Where did a rogue get enough money to own a Hotel? ¡°It¡¯s on the main drag, the first Hotel as you drive in from the western borders, backs onto the nature reserve,¡° he says, but I still have no idea what he was talking about. ¡°F*ck you and your silver spoon, of course; you have no idea what I am talking about, near the train station. Seeing as you have never caught public transport in your life, you would have missed it¡° I press my lips in a line. He was right, though. I usually stick to my own territory and hardly spend any time on the western side of the City but still, a hotel this size you would think I would notice since it was on the main street. ¡°Opened three and half years ago, apparently they are not only cheaper, but they have better services, and I think people are just interested in seeing a Hotel run by rogues.¡° ¡°Great its a f*cking circus for a tourist attraction, not that I have anything against rogues, I just have a hard time being f*cking outdone by them, ¡° ¡°Well, I will suss it out today, ¡° ¡°Don¡¯t bother I will go, might book the Alpha meeting there. Alpha John kicked up a stink when he heard we were hosting it and wants it on neutral ground. I have another job for you anyway,¡° ¡°What¡¯s that?¡° he asks. ¡°I want you to distract my father,¡° I tell him, and he scrunches up his face. ¡°Ah no,st time he gave me a tour of the city I have lived in my entire life, ¡° Marcus says; I smirk. ¡°Can¡¯t I go with you?¡° he whines. ¡°No, I know he is waiting for you to leave so he can give me a lecture on creating an heir, so I need an escape, and this seems perfect,¡° I tell him while holding up the brochure. ¡°I don¡¯t see why I can¡¯te with,¡° He says, getting up. ¡°Oh, and Ashley is downstairs looking for you, ¡° Marcus tells me. ¡°Ah, I never should have touched that one; she is like a leech,¡° I groan, and Marcusughs. ¡°Yeah, you have to be more careful where you stick your dick, ¡° Marcus says. ¡°Get rid of her for me,¡° I tell him, and he growls. ¡°Why do I need to get rid of her? I didn¡¯t f*ck her, ¡° he says. ¡°Fine, I will just distract my father for me so I can escape,¡° I tell him. He leaves then mind links me when the coast is clear, something about he asked my father if he was familiar with graphs. My father was always unable to help himself when he wanted to show off his knowledge, though Marcus would give me hellter over it. Sneaking out, I catch the lift to the ground floor before walking to the exit, only to see Ashley smile when she spots me. She flicks her blonde hair over her shoulder before pulling down her dress that had ridden up. Don¡¯t know why she bothered. I could still see the bottoms of her *ss cheeks if she turned around. ¡°Valen, honey, ¡° ¡°Busy, and don¡¯t call me that, ¡° I tell her, walking past her. She grabs my hand, and I shake her off, walking out for the valet to notice me. He rushes off to get my car while I am stuck standing next to Ashley. ¡°Want to go outter, ¡° She says, pawing at my shirt. I shove her hands off, and she pouts. ¡°What part of, I am busy, don¡¯t you understand?¡° I ask her, she says nothing for a few moments, and her face reddens. ¡°You know you don¡¯t have to be such a prick, Valen, ¡° ¡°Alpha Valen, we are not familiar; just because I stuck my dick in you, don¡¯t think it means anything more than that, now get off me, ¡° I tell her, putting distance between us. She starts crying. I roll my eyes; this couldn¡¯t be happening. Seeing people staring, I tell her to shut up, making her cry more. The valet brings my car over, and I growl, stomping and opening the passenger side. ¡±Get in, and I will drive you home when I am done, ¡± I tell her through clenched teeth, knowing she caught a cab. She wouldn¡¯t shut up the entire time I was driving. Following the Navman, I look for this stupid Hotel. ¡± What are you looking for?¡± Ashley asks, and I ignore her when I spot it. How had I never noticed it before? The ce was huge, and it looked like every part of a five-star hotel. This couldn¡¯t be owned by a rogue. Thewns and hedges were well maintained, the exterior had a very coastal tropical feel. Giant palm trees and hanging nts, well-trained vines rain along the guard rails. A colossal water fountain sat in the center of the car park. Getting out, I look at Ashley quickly. ¡±Stay here, I will be back in a minute, ¡± I tell her. Ashley nods to me and pulls her phone out. I in my door a little too hard. Walking around, I looked at the ce. The restaurant was packed, every seat is taken, waiters were inside serving guests. The food smelt divine, and I growled in annoyance before opening the restaurant door. I could hear people in the back of the kitchen singing happy birthday, and those eating at the tables had all stopped to sing along when a woman brought a cake out cing it on a table, all the staff singing behind her as they followed. Her scent instantly hit my nostrils as they sang happy birthday to a girl that looked younger than her. My entire body locked up in shock and all I could do was stare at the woman who had her arms wrapped around the girl whose birthday it was. Mate, my skin was buzzing, my heart beat faster, and I wanted to im her, not even caring for the people around. My entire body calls me toward the petite woman. Her uniform indicated she was some kind of manager here, and her hair was pulled in a bun on her head, showing off her neck where I wanted to sink my teeth. Everyone cheered as the younger girl blew out the candles when the singing was done. ¡°Oh, we need napkins,¡° I hear my mate¡¯s melodious voice. I was entranced by her; my mouth watered as I watched her walk away and back into the kitchen. She was a little skinny, but I would fix that, she also looked tired, but she was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. Walking over to an older woman, I tap her on the shoulder. She nces at me briefly before looking back down. ¡°Can I help you, Alpha?¡° She asks, picking up my aura. ¡°Yes, that woman that walked out the back to get napkins, ¡° ¡°Everly, Sir. How can I help you, ¡° She says, standing up to look at me from cutting the cake. Her eyes dart to mine, and she steps back, bumping into the table and the younger girl, who then looks at me. Her eyes go wide, and she clutches the woman¡¯s arm. The fear on both their faces was evident. I knew I was feared, but I did nothing, only asked a simple question. They acted like I was about to go on some killing spree. My reputation was terrible , but I wasn¡¯t expecting such fear from two women I had never met before. ¡±Zoe, go check on Everly, ¡± the woman says. Everly, why did her name sound so familiar to me?Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 19 Chapter 19 Everly POV I watched Zoe blow out her candles. Today was her 21st birthday, and I was blessed to call her one of my best friends. She is more like a sister to me. Zoe and Macey filled the ces where my family should have been, but now I was happy with how far we all hade; we didn¡¯t need anyone; we only needed each other. ¡°Happy 21st,¡° I whisper to her, giving her a hug after setting the cake down. ¡°Oh, we need napkins,¡° I tell Zoe before rushing off back to the kitchen. I go into the storeroom, grabbing a box of refills down and pulling a handful out before cing the box on the shelf. Just as I walk back out, Zoe rushes into the kitchen, her face pale and a look of horror on her face. She smacks straight into me before grabbing my arms. ¡°What is it? What happened?¡° I ask her, looking around for what scared her. When she didn¡¯t answer, I went to walk past her to investigate myself. It must be bad for her not to be able to tell me. Zoe feared nothing these days she hade out of her shell, but something happened for her to be such a nervous wreck. ¡°You can¡¯t go out there, ¡° She exims, gripping my arms and pulling me away from the door just as I was about to step out into the Restaurant. I hear Macey talking behind me in the Restaurant. ¡°Sir, you can¡¯t go back there, ¡° I hear her call to someone. ¡°What happened?¡° I ask her. ¡°Zoe?¡° Gripping her arms when her eyes go wide as she stares over my shoulder. I got the feeling that who she feared was right behind me; only a secondter, I stood up straight, his scent wafting to me, and Zoe¡¯s eyes darted to mine. My face must mirror the same horror hers do because she grabs my hands, squeezing them. I close my eyes, willing myself not to break. He will not break me. He does that nearly every night; I live with it. I won¡¯t give him the satisfaction of seeing it. ¡°Your name is Everly, right?¡° I fight the urge to shiver hearing his voice. F*cking mate bond, it¡¯s bad enough it tortures me; why does it have to affect me this way, every piece of me wanting to throw myself in his arms despite the fact he nearly ruined me. The bond wanted that, not me. I was in control, I fought it this long, and I didn¡¯t work this hard for everything to unravel right now. ¡°Yes, how may I help you, Alpha Valen?¡° I ask, turning around. My lungspressed at the sight of him, he was gorgeous, and he f*cking knew he was, which just enraged me. Tall, dark, and handsome. What is it with men? They grow older, manlier, and more handsome while women just f*cking age? Damn, my inner monologue was out of whack today, f*ck, was taking up a good chunk of my vocabry. ¡°You know my name and who I ann?¡° he asks. ¡°I also know what you are too, so how may I help you?¡° I asked him. I was impressed with how calm I sounded, despite screaming internally and wanting to run. He blows out a breath and runs a hand through his hair before scratching his neck. He looks back out to the Restaurant. ¡°How old are you?¡° he asks. ¡°Old enough to know you are my mate if that¡¯s what you are wondering,¡° I tell him. Didn¡¯t I know it? Five years of agony because I knew. He seemed taken aback by my tone, yet I hated him despite the feeling vibrating through the bond that wasn¡¯t even forged yet. I hated what he put me through, hated how he hung up when I tried to tell him I was pregnant andughed at me, saying he would never f*ck a seventeen-year-old. Well, f*cker, you did! And she raised your son herself, not that I would tell him that. Valerian is my world, and we don¡¯t need him in our lives. I step past him and back into the Restaurant, managing to avoid his hand as he tries to touch me. ¡°Can we talk? ¡° he asks. He looks nervous. I got the inkling that he didn¡¯t struggle this much with women; he clearly wasn¡¯t expecting it from his mate. ¡°We just did. Nice chat. Macey will escort you out, ¡° I tell him, pointing to Macey while I checked the dessert disys and grabbed a knife. ¡°Look, I know this came as a bit of shock, but I.¡° ¡°But you what? Thought I would run off into the sunset with you, be dying for you to mark me, ah no thanks. The door is just behind you, if you just turn around, you shouldn¡¯t miss it, but in case you do, there is a green sign above it saying exit,¡° I tell him. ¡°Wow, you are a real piece of f*cking work, ¡° He snaps. ¡°Well, unless you are here for a specific reason that isn¡¯t about being my mate, then get out, ¡° ¡°Actually, I came here for a reason,¡° He mutters while looking around. We had managed to draw half the Restaurant¡¯s attention, though we talked rather quietly. I knew it was his aura. As soon as I dismissed him, he got his hackles up and spilled it out. ¡°I need to speak to the manager about holding the annual Alpha meeting here, ¡° He says before pulling a brochure from his pocket. ¡°Don¡¯t you have your own Hotels to do that at?¡° I ask him. ¡°I have been asked to hold it on neutral territory, ¡° ¡°Well, we are fully booked, ¡° I tell him.¡¯ ¡°I didn¡¯t even give you the date,¡° He snaps. ¡°I know, but whatever date it is, the ce is fully booked, and if it isn¡¯t, I will make sure it is, ¡° I tell him, cing the cutting knife and napkins on the table next to Zoe¡¯s birthday cake. ¡°I want to speak to the manager,¡° He says, following me around. ¡°You¡¯re speaking to her, ¡° I tell him, clearing the table and walking back out to the kitchen. I scraped the tes before cing them in the sink and turning around, only to almost run into him as he was standing so close. I step back. ¡°Then I want to speak to the owner,¡° ¡°You¡¯re looking at her,¡° I tell him. ¡°You own this ce?¡° He scoffs. ¡°Yeah, is that an issue? Do you feel threatened by my five-star ratingpared to your k s! Didn¡¯t think a rogue woman could outdo you, I bet that is the real reason you¡¯re here; you finally realized where all your guests went¡° ¡°Well,¡° He doesn¡¯t finish, instead, shutting up. ¡°It is, isn¡¯t it?¡° ¡°Yes, and No, I wanted to book your functions room for the Alpha meeting and also check out the competition; I wasn¡¯t expecting to find my mate though,¡° he says. ¡°Well, like I said, we are booked out, so if you will excuse me,¡° I tell him, and he growls, stepping into my path. ¡°Why are you being like this?¡° He asks. ¡°Being like what, Alpha Valen?¡° ¡°This! I am your mate!¡° ¡°I am well aware,¡° ¡°Then stop, just let me take you out or something, go somewhere with less of an audience,¡° he says,ncing around at the chefs. ¡°No, thank you,¡° ¡°Have you got a boyfriend, is that it?¡° ¡°No! I don¡¯t feel the need to f*ck everything in sight,¡° ¡°Excuse me?¡° he asks; I roll my eyes, trying to step around him when he blocks me again by cing his arm on the bench. ¡°I have work to do; please move, ¡° I tell him. ¡°Being an Alpha, I can forcefully mark you to make you submit. Ourws state Alpha¡¯s can mark their mates if the mate is unwilling.¡° ¡°Being rogue, I don¡¯t give a f*ck about status, and if you try that, that just shows your true character and every reason as to why I don¡¯t want to be your mate, ¡° ¡°So that¡¯s it?¡° He asks. I shrug, needing him to move. His boxing me in like this filled my head with his scent, making me want to do things I shouldn¡¯t do to him. ¡°So, you hate me over what the media spills about me, you will judge me off that? You don¡¯t even know me; we just met, ¡° He says. He still hadn¡¯t realized who I was. We have met three times now, both other times a disaster because he was drunk, and well, I was underage, so this is on him either way. He should have been able to recognize me the first time. ¡°I would give you the world, and you wouldn¡¯t even give me a chance?¡° ¡°No, you would give me Syphilis or some sexually transmitted disease, so I am not interested, ¡° I tell him, realizing I was going to have to touch him to escape. I try to step around him when he traps me between him and the steel counter, his hands going to either side of my hips. ¡°Don¡¯t pretend the mate bond doesn¡¯t affect you the same as it does me, Everly, ¡° He says, leaning in. I was rooted to the spot,pletely frozen as he pressed his face into my neck. He growls the sound more like a purr the longer he sniffs me before he groans. C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. ¡°Valen, Baby? Valen, where are you?¡° Comes a sugary sweet voice. Valen freezes and growls at the blonde woman as she rushes in, shock on her face when she spots us. ¡°Oh, there you are, ¡° She says, rushing over, and he res at her. ¡°I am not your baby, not your honey or any other stupid name you think you can call me; get out, Ashley¡° He snaps so cruelly I actually felt bad for her; she looked between us and her eyes well with tears. ¡°Get out! ¡° He screams at her. ¡°But..but¡° ¡°But nothing, I have work to do, and you should take your girlfriend home, ¡° I tell him, using her as an escape. I quickly grip his wrist, moving it off the bench; I try not to think of the tingles that rushed across my palm though Valen gasped at my touch. ¡°She isn¡¯t my girlfriend, ¡° he says, ring at her. ¡°Valen?¡° Ashley asks. ¡±You can do better, ¡± I tell her as I walk past her and ce my hand on her shoulder. She looks at me and smiles sadly. It was odd feeling sorry for the girl he had been screwing. ¡±That¡¯s all you have to say; you aren¡¯t angry at her?¡± ¡±Why would I be angry at her? Did you expect me to get jealous? Is that the reaction you were hoping for? I haven¡¯ t got the time or the energy to feel anything for you, ¡± I tell him before turning on my heel and walking out. Macey and Zoe were waiting by the door as I walked out, Macey went to touch me, but I held up my hand to signal her away. She knew instantly not to touch me; she knew I would break. ¡±Go, I will handle this, ¡± they tell me. I rush out the door, heading for one of the apartments out the back that Zoe and I shared. I run through the gardens and up the steps before unlocking the door. The moment I close it, I fall apart. Chapter 20 Chapter 20 Valen POV I wasn¡¯t proud of my actions after leaving the Hotel and my mate. Ashley wouldn¡¯t stop crying and demanding to know who Everly was to me, but I also knew if I told her right now, it would be all over the City by the end of the day, and thest thing I wanted was the media hunting Everly down and harassing her. So, I remained quiet the entire drive until I pulled up out of the front of her house. Ashley reaches for me, and I pull away. I couldn¡¯t stand her touch; it repulsed me, and my entire body was pulling me back in the direction of m y mate. I needed to figure out something fast. I had been away from her for only five minutes. I don¡¯t know how my father survived my mother dying. This was agony, and barely any time slipped past. ¡°Get out! ¡° My voice was more of a growl. Startled by it, Ashley jumped, looking at me nervously. ¡°Get out, ¡° I screamed at her when she sat frozen in her chair, staring at me. Themand rolled over her, and her hand reached for the door handle before hastily getting out. ¡°And Ashley?¡° I ask as she climbs out of the car. She stops her hand still on the open door and looks back in at me. ¡°Don¡¯te looking for me. Stay the f*ck away from me, or you will find yourself living with the rest of the forsaken,¡° I tell Ashley. She gasps; I had never banished anyone from the City before. We tried to usually avoid forsaking wolves, but she just made finding my mate an entirely new struggle when she couldn¡¯t remain in the goddamn car like I asked. Her puffy red eyes blink at me in shock at my words before she nods and ms my door shut. I start the drive home with a sigh wanting nothing more than to go back to the Mountain View Hotel and retrieve my mate. I couldn¡¯t understand why she didn¡¯t want me. Wasn¡¯t that all she -wolves wanted was to be mated to an Alpha? Yet, she tossed me aside like she felt nothing for me. And she was a bloody rogue. She should be jumping for joy. The chances of an Alpha being bonded to a rogue were rare. It isn¡¯t like it has never happened, but most Alpha¡¯s are bonded to other Alpha¡¯s; I only know of two other Alphas in the country mated to someone of lower rank. But Everly was the first rogue I had heard of being bonded to Alpha. However, I didn¡¯t care; I just wanted her; she could have been a freaking unicorn for all I cared. I have always wanted my mate ; I trusted the Moon Goddess to make the right choice for me, and after seeing her. I couldn¡¯t imagine being with anyone else. My mind is entirely consumed with her, her scent, the tingles that rushed over me when she touched me. But something was off, it was right on the tip of my tongue, but I had this weird sense of deja vu, which I knew was insane. I definitely would have recognized my mate had I seen her before, but even her name , I swear I had heard that name before but couldn¡¯t ce it. One thing I did know was, I would have to find a way to win her over; I could mark her forcefully. It was allowed by ourws. Alphas can be weakened without their mates, all mates do , and it was uneptable for an Alpha to be debilitated because they were longing for their Luna. If the Alpha is, the entire pack is put at risk, and I couldn¡¯t allow that. I needed her, and she needed me. She would feel the pull; it was inevitable ; she was good at pretending I didn¡¯t affect her, but her heart rate said otherwise, the way her breathing increased at my proximity, but no one can live without their mate, or so I hoped, and she would be mine. Pulling back into the parking lot of my Hotel, I groan when I see my father¡¯s car still parked where it was. I was hoping Marcus could get rid of him while I was gone, but what intrigued me the most was the car parked beside it. A growl escapes me when I see Alpha John¡¯s car parked in my reserved parking spot beside my father¡¯s. What the f*ck was he doing here? Jamming on the brakes, I stop, and the valet rushes over when I toss my door open, leaving the car running and stalking inside. The receptionist jumps at the growl that escapes me, echoing off the marble floors and the windows vibrate. ¡±Where is he¡± I snapped at her. ¡±Conference room one, Alpha, with your father and Beta, ¡± I nod, heading for the stairs instead of the elevator , not willing to wait. I take the stairs on the left and race up the steps to the first floor. This side of the first floor was mainly office buildings and off-limits to patrons ; the other half was the sectioned-off and all restaurants and bar areas. When I reach the door, I swipe my card to let myself in and then hear the click of the locks before the door swings inward. Walking past a few open doors, I could see pack members look out at me nervously. It was no secret that Alpha John and I didn¡¯t get along. We were constantly in the media and had even a few public incidents recently that had the entire City on edge that a war was coining. Honestly, it was inevitable ; Alpha John had been overstepping and recently had a few of the smaller pack businesses shut down, burnt out, or even robbed. He wanted part of my pack¡¯s border and was willing to try and get it by any means necessary, no matter who he was hurting in the end. And since the main streets and the streets behind it were neutral territories, he couldn¡¯t stake a im to thend, but that didn¡¯t stop him from driving those living there or owning businesses there out. Unfortunately, without proof and no one wanting to get involved, there wasn¡¯t much anyone could do ; he had them running scared. Alpha John was a sneaking bastard, never doing his own dirty work, and there had been rumors he had been even getting help from the higher-ups in the human Cities. This was not a time to be having a war in our own City, not when so many people had gone missing recently. We have kept track of many she -wolves, and even a few forsaken wolves had gone missing. Talk of hunters coining back had the entire City on edge already. Thest thing we needed right now was for our City to look divided; it would make it easier for the City¡¯s humanmunities to pick us off. It was no secret that werewolves existed, but that doesn¡¯t mean there weren¡¯t extremists amongst the humans that wanted to eradicate our kind. Our cities have lived in peace now for centuries. However, werewolves and humans have shed every now and then. The conference room door bangs against the wall loudly when I shove it open. Marcus leaned against the wall with his arms folded, looking rather angry about something. My father and John stop whatever they were discussing to look up at me when I notice another girl in the room. She did not look impressed to be here, but I could tell she was Alpha John¡¯s daughter by her scent. I had heard of her a few times and seen her in the Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. papers. Alpha John had been struggling with her, she could be quite the trouble maker, and I had even seen a few inappropriate photos and videos surfaced of his daughter drunk and him dragging her out of different establishments. ¡±Ah, son, just in time, ¡± My father says, standing up and motioning for me to sit. I walk over to the table but don¡¯t sit down. I didn¡¯t like whatever the heck was going on here. My father hated Alpha John more than I did. Yet, he never did tell me what started their feud, so I was a little shocked to see them sitting around chatting like they were friends. ¡°What the f*ck are you doing on my territory?¡° I ask John. He sits back in his chair and folds his arms across his chest with a smirk on his face. Chapter 21 Chapter 21 ¡°We have a proposition for you.¡° my father says. ¡°Which I don¡¯t f*cking agree to, ¡° John¡¯s daughter says, cutting my father off. ¡°Ava, you will do as you¡¯re told, now sit there and shut up,¡° John snaps at her, his aura rushing over her, and I thought it odd that she wasn¡¯t able to resist. She was definitely old enough to take over her father¡¯s pack, so why hadn¡¯t he handed it down to her yet? Was it the issue with the media? ¡°Son, please just take a seat,¡° My father says, and I growl, pulling a chair out and sitting down in it. ¡°Now, John and I have been in discussions over thest couple of weeks trying to find a way to put an end to this feud. We think we havee up with a solution that will benefit all of us, tensions are running high in the City, and we need to show those that reside here we are united, but that won¡¯t happen if a war is inevitable. So Ava here is due to take over her father¡¯s pack, but with recent issues in the media, it has her pack nervous.¡° ¡°This is bullshit, ¡° Ava curses under her breath and shakes her head. My lips tug up at her defiance, and Alpha John res at her before he speaks. ¡°My pack is nervous about my daughter taking over.¡° ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have to take over if you didn¡¯t- ¡° ¡°Ava enough, sit down and shut up, you had caused our family enough disgrace, ¡± Alpha John snapped at her, but I will give the girl one thing, she had no issues standing up to her father when she stood up and ced her hands on the table to re at him. ¡±I am not even meant to be in the City; I wasn¡¯t the one meant to be Alpha. I should have been across the other side of the country in university by now, but you just had to get rid of- ¡± Alpha John stood up and pped his daughter before she could say more, and I jumped to my feet. A growl tore out of me from witnessing him hitting his daughter. It disgusted me that he could smack his own flesh and blood. Sure, she may be a little wayward, but he shouldn¡¯t have hit her. ¡± Sit down, you know not to mention that name , ¡± John warns her, his tone threatening, and I wondered who he was talking about. Alpha John always kept his family on his territory. Rarely letting his daughter off pack territory unless escorted, but once she turned of age, he couldn¡¯t exactly stop her. I knew Alpha John¡¯s wife was rarely seen, only proving how controlling he was, but if she wasn¡¯t supposed to be Alpha, who was? Ava rubs her cheek, and her eyes burn with tears, but she sits back down. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Marcus¡¯s jaw clench, and my father nods to Alpha John, which pisses me off that he would condone him hitting his daughter like that. ¡±As I was saying, Ava here is supposed to take over the pack. Due to her recent behavior, it is making my pack members nervous, so your father and I have found a way to not only end this feud but also help both packs.¡° ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡° I tell him, trying to figure out where he is going with this, my father is suddenly nervous, and I see him loosen his tie. ¡°You need a mate to produce an heir, I need someone to help take over the pack. My daughter clearly can¡¯t do it on her own and has been troublesome, I need someone that can handle her, keep her in line.¡° ¡°What like you just did by beating her, and what the heck do you get out of this?¡° I ask my father. None of this made sense to me; they hated each other. Why would my father be suddenly siding with him? ¡°Valen?¡° My father scolds, but I wasn¡¯t about to pretend him hitting her didn¡¯t happen or that any of this made sense. I was an asshole, and so was my father, but not once did he ever raise his hand to me and sure as hell wouldn¡¯t p my child like she was a man. His entire hand was outlined on her face despite her almost being healed and to do that to someone you expect to take over your pack is disgusting. It is no secret that Alpha John needed to retire. He was the oldest Alpha in the City. Ignoring my father, I turn to John. ¡°I fail to see how your daughter is to help with that issue.¡° ¡°An arrangement, we think you should take Ava as your mate, she can provide a strong pup for you, and I can ensure my pack they are in safe hands. It would also get rid of the negative media, and the City will look reunited,¡° my father tells me. ¡°I know you aren¡¯t blind to those of our kind that have been going missing ofte. We can¡¯t be fighting amongst ourselves when we may have an inevitable waring with the humans,¡° John tells me, shocked at what he just asked of me. Shaking my head, no wonder the girl is so angry; I was outraged that my father would even agree to this. ¡°Just think about it Valen, this is good for everyone in the City and for both packs. It will end the wars between packs which benefits both of us.¡° ¡°No, now get the f*ck out of my Hotel; I won¡¯t hear any more of this nonsense, ¡° I tell them getting up out of my seat. ¡°Valen, just think about it, we still have time for you to decide. No need to make hasty decisions. Nothing will be announced until the Alpha meeting in two months. Plenty of time to discuss this some more.¡° ¡°We don¡¯t need to discuss anything. Ava isn¡¯t my mate. I will have children with my mate and my mate only. Thank you for the offer Alpha John, but I am not interested,¡° I tell him about to walk out the door. ¡°I will give you some time to think about it, Alpha Valen. The offer still stands, so think carefully. Reputation is everything. ¡° Alpha John tells me, his eyes darting to my father, who nods. I couldn¡¯t care less about my reputation, I wasfortable with who I am. Once again, however, I am cut off before I can answer, this time by my father. ¡°How is the Alpha meetinging along, have you picked a location yet?¡° My father says, cutting me off as I was about to tell Alpha John to go f*ck himself and get off my territory. ¡°It will be on the neutral territory; now I think it is time you leave, ¡° I snap at them, meaning both men. ¡°Great, well send us the details, and in the meantime, you can think about what decision you want to make. It would be good to know for certain by the Alpha meeting so we can make an announcement.¡° ¡°There won¡¯t be an announcement. Your daughter is not my mate, ¡° I tell him, but he ignores me instead of gripping his daughter¡¯s arm and tugging her out of the room. I growl at him. C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. ¡°Enough, just think about it, Valen, ¡° My father says, watching them leave. The moment they do, I turn on my father. ¡°How f*cking dare you, you just put me on the spot. You didn¡¯t think to f*cking ask before making deals with the likes of him, I won¡¯t go through with it and if you try that shit again, I will banish you from the City,¡° I bellow at him. My father takes a step away from me, he has always been trying to control every aspect of my life since I took over, but this wasn¡¯t his choice and was way out of line. I had found my mate. I wasn¡¯t about to toss her aside for some rivalry. Alpha John¡¯s daughter not being good enough to be her packs Alpha was not my issue, but this made things more difficult because now I had to convince Everly to let me mark her before the Alpha meeting. I would ept no one but my mate, but I had no doubt that disagreeing would only be the start of my issues with Alpha John and the shadow pack. And I could already tell something was up with my father. He was keeping something from me, so until I knew what it was, I was going to have to make sure he didn¡¯t find out about Everly. Chapter 22 Chapter 22 Everly POV The following day I thought I had made it; I thought I could go the entire day without dealing with mate dramas. Once he realized I was his mate, and after his persistence yesterday, I knew it wouldn¡¯t be the last time I would be hearing from him. Valen didn¡¯t seem like the type that was used to being knocked back by a woman. But he had to get used to it. There was no way I would allow my son to be taken from me. Stepping out of my office, I groan when I see him walking down the corridor toward me and was going to turn in the opposite direction to escape out the side door and back to the safety of my apartment before having to retrieve my son from Preschool. ¡°Everly,¡° ¡°What? Alpha Valen, I am busy,¡° I call over my shoulder. He jogs after me. ¡°Too busy to speak with your mate?¡° He asks. ¡°Yep, definitely too busy for you, ¡° I tell him, continuing toward the door that led outside. ¡°Hmm, so you hire liars here because that cleaner just told me you should be going on your lunch break right now and that you aren¡¯t busy,¡° Valen says before gripping my arm. Sparks rushed up my arm and I jerked away from his touch as I turned to face him. Valen growls at me, and I re at him. ¡±Geez, what is your problem? No need to act repulsed by me, ¡± he snaps at my reaction. ¡±I never said you repulsed me, but thanks, I will add repulsion to my list of reasons for hating you, ¡± I tell him though that was a lie; I didn¡¯t hate him, his arrogance and the fact he couldn¡¯t remember me irritated me but hate was too strong of a word. Everything in me was calling me to press against him, to touch him and mark myself with his scent, some primal urge to im him, but I shoved it down, ignoring it. He had my hormones and brain all muddled when he was near, and I wanted to run from him, not liking the feelings he brought out of me. How I could detest and long for someone simultaneously irritated me. ¡±Why, why do you hate me because of Ashley? ¡± He asks, and I scoff before turning away. ¡°She means nothing to me,¡± Valen says when I start to walk away from him. He grips my arm, turning me back to face him, and I growl at him and try to shake his hand off, but his grip only tightens. ¡±Keep your hands off me. You have no right touch me, ¡± I snap at him. His eyes change and turn ck. His wolf side presses forward at the warning in my voice, he clearly didn¡¯t like being challenged by his mate, or was it just my refusal to bow down to him, or maybe he was butt hurt that I wasn¡¯t tossing myself at him like the rest of the bimbos he usually had hanging off his arm. I bet that was it; he wasn¡¯t used to being rejected, and to be dismissed by a rogue must really grind his gears. His following words proved thetter. ¡°I have every right to touch what is mine, and you are mine Everly, every inch of you is mine , mine to touch, mine to mark, you are mine to im, and I will im you, ¡± I swallow and try to take a step back when my back hits the wall. Valen¡¯s canines slip from his gums, and he steps closer, pressing me against the wall. I swallow, finding myself caged in against the wall by him; his nose moves along my jaw to my neck. The sharp points of his teeth grazed my skin, and my eyes shut, my breathing bing unsteady, and I hated my own body¡¯s reaction at his closeness. ¡°You don¡¯t seem so sure now Everly, you know who you belong to , and you do belong to me, ¡± He says, his breath fanning across my neck, and I inhale his addictive scent. My own gums tingle with the urge to mark him, im him as mine, and I try to fight off the instinct that is infused in us. I felt out of control, my heart rate increased, and my breathing became heavy as his scent wrapped around me. Valen moves closer , his entire body against mine, and a deep thrum from his chest vibrated against mine as he purred. Yet my body gave into his to his calling, the urge to let him take me, overridingmon sense, and he used my own instincts against me. She -wolves are unable to resist the call of their mates. The sound called me to give in to my mate on some instinctual level, like a sedative that made my brain suddenly stop working. He nips at my neck, and much as I hated what he was doing, the thought of him marking me also excited me. Bringing forth feelings for him I thought died long ago, reminding me of the urge to nest when pregnant. Some strange urge orpulsion doing what came naturally but also felt uncontroble at the same time because it took free will from us; it was all instinct and urges. ¡±Do I still repulse you, Everly, because your body says otherwise, ¡± He whispers against my skin before grazing my neck where his mark should be with his teeth again; I shiver when I feel his lips press against my skin before he runs his tongue across my neck. Valen groans obscenely; his hand skims under the side of my blouse. I gasp at his touch, and my hands feebly clutch the front of his shirt. I didn¡¯t know if I wanted to pull him closer or shove him away, my brain and body fighting with each other. But damn, did his body feel good pressed against mine, so warm and my skin tingled. I could feel the outline of his abs that were hidden beneath his shirt, his belt buckle digging into my stomach as he pressed closer until I could feel every line of him. A sigh escapes me, and my eyes jolt open at the noise I make. Valen¡¯s hand moves higher before he squeezes my breast through my bra and growls softly before nipping at my jaw. I wanted to shove him off, but at the same time , I didn¡¯t want him to stop, I wanted to feel his hands all over me without the clothes in the way. The sound of someone clearing their throat makes me jolt back into reality, and I jump while Valen growls menacingly and I push him away from me instantly, the fog lifting. Though I miss his touch. Looking down the corridor, I see Macey and my cheeks heat, and she raises an eyebrow at me before tapping her fingers on her wrist. My brows furrow, and I quickly nce at my watch. Shit, I had to get Vrian from the rogue Preschool; it would close soon. I knew I shouldn¡¯t have taken such ate lunch. I would typically be waiting at the gate by now; it was nearly 4 :30 p.m. ¡°Zoe?¡° I ask, and she nods. ¡°Already gone to get, ¡° She looks at Vrian. ¡°She should be back soon, ¡° Macey says carefully, letting me know Zoe was grabbing Vrian with Casey, and I let out a breath of relief. ¡°Thank you, Macey; I will be down soon. I just need to deal with something first,¡° ¡°Sure, go back to whatever you were both doing, but keep it PG, this is a hotel¡° She chuckles, and I re at her before my cheeks me with heat. Valen smirks at me, and I re at him while Macey walks off toward the stairs. ¡°So, do you still believe you are unaffected by the mate bond?¡° he asks. I say nothing. How could I when he was practically dry humping me against the wall, and I was letting him? I shake my head, turning to follow after Macey. ¡°Deny me all you want, Everly; you will give in. You can¡¯t resist a mate bond,¡° Valen calls quite confidently. Little did he know I had been denying my mate bond for years and would continue to. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be so sure about that, I can be stubborn, and I can guarantee I won¡¯t be pining over you, ¡° I retort, trying to escape him as he followed me. ¡°I have other ways to make you give in, resist the mate bond, but I bet you woulde crawling back if I had this ce shut down, ¡° He says, and I stop. ¡°Excuse me?¡° I snap, spinning around to re at him. He smiles, and I clench my hands into fists. ¡°Don¡¯t forget who this City belongs to, fight me all you want Everly, nothing I like more than a good challenge but don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you, because I always win, you will ept the mate bond and me or, ¡° He looks around motioning with his hand at my Hotel. ¡°I have a lot of influence around here,¡° He says, stepping closer. ¡°You can¡¯t breach me on anything, Valen. Your threats are empty. I know everything is legal; no one can fault this ce for anything, ¡° I tell him. He shrugs, stepping closer. ¡°So you won¡¯t mind me sending the health and safety inspector around, nothing to fine you for?¡° He asks, and I fold my arms across my chest. ¡°My Hotel won¡¯t fail anything. Everything is to the book, you won¡¯t win, and nothing you do will make me ept this mate bond, nothing, so go home, Alpha Valen, ¡°I tell him before storming away. The hide of him to threaten me. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. ¡°I will see you tomorrow Everly, ¡° Valen calls out, and I growl at him. Taking the steps two at a time and headed to my apartment, knowing Zoe would be back soon with the kids, and I really needed to go for a run to burn off some of this anger that was raging through me. Chapter 23 Chapter 23 All afternoon I was in a terrible mood. I cou1dn¡¯t concentrate or focus on anything. Two days in a row, I had seen Valen, and the bond was buzzing, and I could feel it was making it increasingly difficult to do anything. On top of that, I had his lingering threat and the worry that came with it. He had the power to destroy the Hotel we saved, and Vrie gave it to Vrian and me. I felt protective of it; we built this ce from its bare bones and gave it back life. I wasn¡¯t about to stand by and let him take from us. Yet I would be powerless against him in a City where rogues meant nothing. It would be a lie if I said I wasn¡¯t worried; I was. Macey, Zoe, and I have worked our asses off for years building this ce back up. And for him to threaten to destroy it made my blood boil, the question lingering in the back of my mind, would he really destroy this ce, harm his own mate¡¯s business all because I refused to give into him? ¡°Ah mummy, ¡± Valerian¡¯s worried voice reaches my ears, and I lift my head to look at him. A shriek leaves my lips when I realize I was burning the grilled cheese, smoke billowing from the grill, and I rush over, ripping the tray out only to forget it was piping hot, and I wasn¡¯t wearing oven gloves. My fingers sizzle, and I drop the tray before racing to the sin and quickly turning the tap on to run my hand under the cold water. ¡°Casey, don¡¯t touch that,¡± I tell her when she leans down from the kitchen table to pick up the hot tray. She sits back up, and Zoees racing out with all themotion. The smoke rms suddenly start ring loudly, and she opens the window above the sink before using a tea towel to waft the smoke out the window. ¡°Shit, Eve. Are you ok?¡± I nod, holding my hand under the cool water. My fingertips blistered while Zoe used the tea towel and picked up the tray, cing it on the stove and discarding the ruined grilled cheese. She then uses the broom to smack the fire rm, jabbing the button and cutting off its deafening noise. ¡°Let me see, ¡± Zoe says, looking around me at my burnt hand. ¡± It¡¯s fine; it will heal,¡± I tell her, and she clicks her tongue. ¡°You have been distracted all afternoon. What¡¯s going on with you today?¡± I nce at the small dining table in our cramped tiny kitchen. Both kids went back to their drawing and no longer paid attention to us. ¡± He came by again today, ¡± I tell her, and Zoe sighs before running her fingers through her hair. I knew she worried I would turn out like Vrie, she and Macey had expressed multiple times they wanted me to mate another rogue to ensure I didn¡¯t die, but other men didn¡¯t faze me in the slightest. I was content on my own, and I liked my independence and didn¡¯t need a mate to be whole. However, I couldn¡¯t deny how the bond has affected me. ¡°You need to figure something out,st night, you couldn¡¯t sleep and were pacing all night, and now you¡¯re burning yourself. Go for a run. Val always told you to run it off. Seeing him always weakened her. The more you see him, the more fragile you will be, ¡± Zoe says before chewing her thumbnail and watching me nervously. Zoe was right, and I remembered every time that Alpha caine to visit Vrie, she would be out of it for days, and we would have to force her out of bed. Yet, that couldn¡¯t be happening to me. Not yet, surely. Vriested decades before her deterioration got that bad; it killed her. ¡°Go , you know you should. When was thest time you even shifted? ¡± I shrug, knowing she was right and it had been well and truly over a month. Yet I hated shifting. It was a constant reminder of what had be of me. Each time, my wolf side became smaller and weaker. If I didn¡¯t shift, my mental state would start to deteriorate along with my body. When she was still able, Vrie told me that shifting helped ward off the effects of the bond. Gosh, how I missed that woman. She was one of a kind and one of the best women I had the pleasure of ever meeting. She would have been a great- grandmother had she gotten the chance to live longer. One thing I will never forgive Alpha Kalen for, he killed her, and I just had to make sure his son didn¡¯t make history repeat itself. Valen won¡¯t kill me, and he won¡¯t get my son; I would make sure of it. ¡°Go, you can tell me about itter when the kids are in bed,¡± I nod, looking over at them. Valerian¡¯s amber eyes stared down at his paper as he drew his picture, concentrating hard, his tongue poking out the corner. Zoe sets a ss of juice on the table beside him, and he stares at it and his lips purse while his brows furrow as he res at it before moving it onto the coaster. He then does the same with Casey¡¯s. His pencils were all straight in a row, set perfectly and even sharpened to the same length. However, Casey¡¯s were in disarray, and I could see his fingers twitch to straighten them for her. ¡± Sorry, Valerian, I forgot, ¡± Zoeughs softly before ruffling his thick dark hair. He looked like his father, a spitting image, and I noticed the stares he sometimes got. He already had a particr atmosphere about him, he was an Alpha in the making, and I wasn¡¯t sure it would remain hidden. One day someone would notice he wasn¡¯t like other rogues. He was born from Alpha Parents. Even though I no longer had an aura, he was strong and dominant. His personality is quite intense for a child. Casey was like any child; though she looked like Zoe, I could see her father in her too. Casey had his dark blonde hair and brown eyes, though her soft facial features and her nose she got from her mother. ¡°Eve, go. The kids are fine,¡± Zoe tells me, and I nod. I felt like I was failing my son, I hardly had time, and I hated spending it away from my son when I did. I felt so spread thin, always racing around for the Hotel and barely having the energy to function by the afternoon, always working, building our vige and his future. I kiss Valerian on the cheek as I walk around the table to grab my sneakers. ¡°Can Ie?¡± Valerian asks, and my heart thumps at the thought. He loved watching me shift, not realizing how much weaker I was to a regr werewolf. How was he to know when I am the only one he has seen, buttely, the reserve hasn¡¯t been safe. A few forsaken have got into the City, it has been unusual. Though the City¡¯s border patro1s quickly put them down, it made me nervous about taking him out. Since thest encounter reported, I hadn¡¯t been out after a group of rogues was attacked. The packs couldn¡¯t care less for rogues, which only made us more nervous. They didn¡¯t care but had tightened patrols; it was no good for anyone in the City if they could get in. Another thing I thought odd was the reports of forsaken wolves going missing. Some that stuck close to the City borders and turned feral had suddenly vanished. Those that kept monitoring them hadn¡¯t seen them, and one thing this City was good at was talking. Rumor spread, yet the missing forsaken Wolves are never mentioned in the news. It¡¯s like they don¡¯t exist, but I know they exist, we have all heard the rumors, yet no warning was ever given to us rogues to steer clear of the reserve. Those living in packs were given alternative options for going on runs and extra patrols. None of those options were offered to us. So when rogues or forsaken went missing we knew, the roguemunity was small; we noticed when one of us went missing, not that the City cared. One of the missing rogues was a cleaner here; she had twin girls, luckily their grandmother took them in, and we have still been paying her wage and would continue to do so, despite her remaining missing. We would continue to help out her mother with the twins; we didn¡¯t forget her. All rogues have been on edge, eleven missing in thest year and numerous forsaken sightings and three forsaken also vanished; it made no sense. The world was going mad, and it scared me. ¡°Not today, sweetie, next time I promise, ¡± I tell him, and Valerian pouts. ¡± None of that; your mother has her reasons, ¡± Zoe scolds when he res at the table and ms his pencil down. ¡°All she does is work,¡± Valerian mutters, and my heart twists painfully at his words. ¡°I promise next time, it isn¡¯t safe right now, ¡± I tell him, and he looks at me where I sat on the couch, cing my sneakers on. ¡°If it isn¡¯t safe, why are you going then?¡± ¡°Because I have to, I need to shift you know that, we have spoken of this before. Sometimes mummy needs to,¡± ¡°Fine,¡± Valerian says, straightening his pencils before reaching over and doing the same with Casey¡¯s. She frowns at hispulsive behavior. ¡°You promise next time I can go to?¡± Vrian asks. I sigh and nod my head. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. ¡°I promise, ¡± I tell him. ¡°Pinky promise,¡± he asks, holding up his little pinky. I chuckle, getting up and capturing his pinky with mine. ¡°I pinkie promise, ¡± I tell him, kissing his cheek. ¡°Now behave for Aunty Zoe, and I will be back soon. We can watch that dinosaur movie tonight if you like after dinner,¡± ¡°Ooh, and I can make caramelized popcorn, ¡± Zoe tells the kids, who nod excitedly. ¡°Stay away from the fence line,¡± Zoe says, concerned. I look at the clock and nod. ¡°Two hours max, ¡° ¡°Any longer, I send a search party, ¡± She replies. I knew she would too. Anxiety amongst us rogues was at an all-time high. Giving onest nce at Vrian, I walk to the front door and hurry down the steps. Turning down the path at the bottom, I head for the back of therge property toward the fenceline. The back of the Hotel backs onto the reserve. Arge hole had been cut in the mesh fence. It made it easier for those working here to sneak into the back of the reserve. The reserve wasrge and had a wend off closer to the Cities border fences that encircled the entire City. It was also neutral territory, and the only ce considered safe for us rogues to shift without causing a disturbance to the packs, which to me made no sense. Shifting is natural to werewolves, yet we were restricted to where we could go because packs didn¡¯t want to share any of the safer ces to run. We were considered the undeserving, the nuisances of the City. So we got this one ce and one ce only, and it had to be the most dangerous part of the City that was gifted to us, right on the most extensive stretch of the border fence line that was the weakest and most essible to gain entry. I nned to steer clear of those fences; we all avoided them, not wanting the unnecessary attention from those on patrol and now not wanting the unwanted attention of any possible forsaken wolves that may be lurking and looking for a way into the City. I was yet to see one and didn¡¯t want to ; the rumors were enough to make me want to avoid them at all costs, cannibals, rabid and crazed, the parts of them that once had humanity now gone, forever stuck in their shifted state, forever the monsters humans once painted us to be. Slipping amongst the trees, I look around before pulling my clothes off and tucking them into a hollow log before kneeling. I had been finding it difficult to shift. It took more concentration and was forced. My body no longer agreeing to do as it was told, no longer strong enough to change on demand. It was a battle made harder each time. I shudder when I feel my bones start breaking, the process painful, and it shouldn¡¯t be. It was like my first shift all over again, and I curse that I ever met Valen as I morph into my wolf, hands bing paws two legs traded for four. My vision changed and adapting and now I had shifted; all I wanted was rest. I was exhausted already, but I forced myself to run.I ran for about an hour before I could barely move, copsing on the ground next to my clothes before shifting back and changing into my clothes. Slowly walking back to my apartment, I turned the corner and smacked into a wall that should not have been there. I knew this ce like the back of my hand. I was stumbling backward, having bounced off the firm body. A warm hand grips my arm, pulling me back before Ind on my ass on the pavement. A gasp escapes me when sparks rush up my arm, and his intoxicating scent has me leaning into him involuntarily. ¡°I was looking for you, and the cleaner said your apartment was, ¡± he looks around before looking up at the stairs and pointing to mine and Zoe¡¯s apartment. ¡°This one, ¡± Valen says, and I brush his hand away that held my arm, my heart thudding in my chest when I hear the kids ying. Valen looks up at the apartment. ¡°You live with someone?¡± He asks, cocking his head to the side. ¡°Yes, Zoe and her kids, ¡± I tell him needing him away from my apartment before Vrian realizes I am home and rushes out. ¡°Well, are we going to stand here? ¡± he asks, and I nce at my apartment. ¡°I just want to talk. Please just hear me out,¡± ¡°We already spoke, ¡± I trailed off, Vrina pulling the curtain back to stare out, and Zoe quickly closes it, her mouth opening and closing like a fish before she pulls Vrian away just as Valen turns to look up. He waves to Zoe briefly, and she smiles awkwardly. ¡°Ah yeah, fine, but my office, ¡± I tell him walking off to the central part of the Hotel before he could argue. Chapter 24 Chapter 24 Valen stared around my office, it used to be Vrie¡¯s apartment, but we converted it into office space. I found it challenging toe here before. Memories always brought back heartache, so we revamped it, and now the ce didn¡¯t haunt me. Yet, seeing Valen standing here in what used to be her home filled me with sadness. She loved her son, and here he stood unaware that this ce, the Hotel, used to belong to the woman who had given birth to him. What kind of man would he be if she was given a chance to raise him, I wondered. I watch him for a few seconds, and he stops at the shelving before rearranging it. My brows furrow as I watch him straighten the ornaments making them line up; it was one thing seeing my son do odd things like that, but a grown man? His movement was strange as he rearranged the books in alphabetical order on the shelf below. However, OCD wasn¡¯t a gic probability, so it had to be a coincidence. ¡°Why are you here? I wasn¡¯t expecting you to stop by,¡± I tell him remembering his threat toe back tomorrow, yet here he stood. ¡°I don¡¯t need a reason. I own the City, or did you forget?¡± I roll my eyes at him. Typical Alpha, thinking the world owes them for us being allowed in their presence. He stops looking around, and I notice the picture of Vrian on my desk and quickly swipe it off, cing it in the drawer just as he turns to face me. My door opens up, and the night secretary walks in. ¡°Coffee?¡± Emily asks, her brown eyes sparkling. She was a cheerful woman though ordinarily shy. Despite that, Emily hassted the longest on the night shift in the foyer. Her son was seven, and she lived in the Roguemune, working here of a night to provide for her child. However, she makes her coffee from scratch, and it is terrible, she grows the beans herself, and after stopping by her ce when I met her and offered her the job, I refused to drink a single cup¡ªalways bringing my own. ¡°No, this won¡¯t take, ¡° ¡°Yes, Please, ¡± Valen cuts me off, and I re at him. Emily lingers for a second, and I nod to her. Valen smiles triumphantly when I give in, yet the joke was on him if he thought he would enjoy what she would prepare for him. ¡°Now, if only you would give in that easily to the mate bond, ¡° ¡°Not happening, I don¡¯t need or want a mate, ¡± I tell him, and he huffs before pulling out the chair on the other side of my desk. He leans back, folding his arms across his chest, and watches me. I fought back a shiver as my eyes roamed over his muscr frame. ¡°And why is that? What have you got against me? I am your mate, Everly. There is no escaping me, but why would you want to? I am an Alpha. What sort of rogue are you? Most rogues would be begging me to be their mate, ¡± he says, and I scoff. ¡°Not when you keeping around. No, there isn¡¯t any way of escaping you. Do I need to get the authorities involved, tell them I have a stalker,¡± ¡°Tell them what you want. As an Alpha, and the most influential one in the City, I have every right to force you toplete the bond, and there is nothing I can¡¯t buy my way out of even if there was an issue, ¡° ¡°And here I was thinking; I have every right to reject you,¡± I retort. Valen growls, and the door opens. Emily walks back in, unaware of the argument she walked in on, utterly oblivious to the tension in the room. She ces the coffee¡¯s on my desk quietly while Valen and I re at each other. She slips back out, and Valen grits his teeth before looking around the room. ¡°Why, why would you want to reject your mate? ¡± He asks before getting out of his seat. He looks around again. His jaw clenched tight before turning to re at the mugs on my desk. I roll my eyes, recognizing that look, and decide to test my theory. It can¡¯t be gic, surely; it¡¯s not possible. ¡°I have my reasons, ¡± I tell him; before opening the drawer under my desk, I pull two coasters out that I kept here for when Vrian sometimes came down here. Valen lets out a breath, and I hand him one. He quickly ces his mug on it and retakes his seat. ¡°And what reasons are those?¡± He asks like he didn¡¯t just have a semi meltdown over a coaster. ¡°What? ¡± I ask, looking up at him, distracted by his mere presence. I was not too fond of the way I felt around him. ¡°Your reasons, surely you wouldn¡¯t judge someone on just what is in the media?¡± He repeats, snapping me out of my thoughts. ¡°Knowing my reasons won¡¯t change my decision, ¡± ¡°Nor will it change mine, ¡± Valen growls. ¡°Well, great chat,¡± I tell him getting to my feet when I feel his aura rush over me. ¡°Sit down. You won¡¯t dismiss me so easily,¡± He says firmly, and my butt hits the chair hard. Valen bites the inside of his cheek, and I re at him. ¡°It makes no sense, you should be able to resist me, yet you put up no fight at all,¡± He says cocking his to the side and staring at me. ¡°I am rogue, ¡° ¡°Yes, but also my mate. You should have some kind of resistance to me, ¡± he says more to himself than me. He was pondering his words. I add nothing; I have no resistance because my wolf is weak, thanks to the man sitting across from me. ¡°I have been nice, Everly,¡± ¡°You do, and I will hate you forever,¡± I sneer at him, and he pulls back. ¡°Do what?¡± he asks. ¡°You know what, you keep telling me you have every right, you make me, and I will make you regret it,¡± Valen reaches for his coffee, and I stifle augh by biting down on my tongue as I stare at the mug in his hand. He wants to act like an annoying shit; he can drink it then. Maybe I should tell him, but I shove that thought away quickly as I stare back at the Alpha, who seems to think he is God¡¯s gift to women. ¡°I may have the right to force you, that doesn¡¯t mean I agree with it or will do it. I am not a monster, but I also won¡¯t wait around forever. A man of my status doesn¡¯t get to wait for a rogue to make up her mind, ¡± he says before taking a sip. His cheeks puff out, and he gags, covering his mouth with his hand until he retches again before spitting it back into the cup. ¡°My God, what is that? It tastes ghastly,¡± he says. I chuckle at the look on his face, and he raises an eyebrow at me. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. ¡°Do you give that crap to your guests?¡± Iugh and nce at my untouched cup. Another fit of giggles leaves me. ¡°Definitely not; it¡¯s reserved for cocky Alphas only,¡± I snorted, choking on myugh. Valen stares at my full mug. ¡°What?¡± ¡°She grows the beans herself,¡± ¡°Well, she isn¡¯t a green thumb, tasted like shit, no amount of sugar would make that taste decent,¡± he huffs before shuddering. I was in fits of giggles while he continued to stare at me like I was deranged. ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± ¡°She fertilizes the nt with her own waste¡± I clutch my stomach at the look on his horrified face. ¡± She does what?¡± He says, outraged, getting to his feet. ¡°You¡¯re lying. You better be damn lying Everly, ¡± I shake my head and bite my lips to stop myself from laughing. ¡°Next time I refuse the coffee trust, I have my reasons. No one loves coffee more than me,¡± I tell him. Valen pales slightly, and I suddenly feel bad for letting him drink it. He¡¯ll get over it. Everyone was aware never to drink Emily¡¯s coffee or anything she brought from home, for that matter. Sweet woman, but she can be strange and believes everything is recyble. ¡°Come on then, ¡± I tell him, getting to my feet. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you let me drink that,¡± he snaps, following me out of my office to the small kitchte. ¡± How was the coffee?¡± Emily asks on the way past. ¡°Valen enjoyed it,¡± I tell her, and he growls behind me, only loud enough for me to hear. Emily beams brightly like she just received the bestpliment. ¡°I grow the beans myself, ¡± she says proudly. Valen¡¯s hands clench at his side¡¯s, and he nods stiffly, giving her a smile that looks pained. I nudge him toward the small hall and into the kitchte. Valen closes the door behind him. ¡°If you are going to feed me more shit, I am not interested,¡± he says before spotting the sink and rushing over to it. He rinses his mouth at the Tap before drying his hands on a tea towel. Rummaging through the small fridge, I grab out two sodas. ¡°Not made from anyone¡¯s waste, is it?¡± he snaps at me. ¡°No,¡± I tell him, cracking mine and taking a sip. Valen does the same, drinking half the can in one go before looking around, and I roll my eyes, reaching beside him at his head for a coaster. His hand moves to my hip, and I re at him, but he smirks back at me. ¡± Hands off,¡± I spit at him, only for him to pull me closer just as I grab the coasters from the shelf. Chapter 25 Chapter 25 ¡°Why? I am only touching what belongs to me, If I want to touch you, I will, and no one would dare to stop me, Everly. Remember that,¡± He growls before tugging me against his chest. I push off his chest with my hand, trying to escape him. ¡°Valen, let me go,¡± ¡°And if I don¡¯t want to?¡± ¡°I will make you, ¡± I growl back at him though I doubted that. However, usually a knee to the balls was enough to drop any man. Valenughs softly, his hand moving lower before he grabs my ass. I re at him before thumping his hard chest with my fist clutching the coasters. Heughs, plucking them from my fingers, and his brows furrow. He reluctantly lets me go. I move to the other side, so I am out of reach. He clicks his tongue holding up a coaster, and he raises an eyebrow at me. ¡°What?¡± I ask. ¡°Nothing but that is the second time you have done that like you knew what I was thinking, ¡± he says. Nope, I just know my son, and it seems they share a few odd simrities. I shrug. ¡°One of the kids of one of the rogues has OCD. I saw you rearrange my shelf, ¡° ¡°Observant, but I don¡¯t have OCD, just certain things bother me,¡± ¡°Coasters are one of them. Your reluctance to be my mate is another,¡± he then mutters something under his breath, too low for me to hear while shaking his head. And I sigh, sipping my soda. His scent filled the small room, yet I found it oddly calming. However, the quiet was beginning to get awkward as we stood there staring at each other. Making me question why he came back here tonight. Did the bond pull him back here or was he here for more sinister reasons? ¡°You didn¡¯te here because you wanted to talk, ¡± I state. ¡°Not exactly, ¡± I raise an eyebrow at him. ¡°I was going to mark you,¡± he states before wiping a hand down his face, and he sighs while I step back, my lower back hitting the bench. ¡°I won¡¯t, I want to, but I won¡¯t, not yet at least we still have time for you toe around to the decision on your own,¡± ¡°And if I don¡¯t let you,¡± ¡°You can¡¯t just ignore a mate bond and don¡¯t think about rejecting me Everly, or you will force my hand. I won¡¯t have a choice if you do,¡± ¡°Everyone has a choice, Valen.¡± ¡°Not everyone, I don¡¯t. My father is pushing me to marry and provide an heir, ¡± my stomach twists at his words thinking of Vrian. ¡°If you can¡¯t, what will he do,¡± ¡°F*ck!¡± He groans, his eyes darkening and his aura slips out before he stifles it. ¡°You need to let me mark you. I won¡¯t be married off and forced to mate someone that is not my mate, ¡° ¡°You¡¯re an Alpha; he can¡¯t force you to do anything, and I won¡¯t be forced to ept you.¡± ¡± I have responsibilities to my pack Everly; my father is going announce it at the next Alpha meeting, ¡° ¡°Well, I hope you and your future mate are happy together, ¡± I tell him, cing my empty soda in the bin. ¡°How can you say that? What is your issue with me?¡± ¡°My issue with you is that your exactly like every other Alpha, only giving a f*ck about titles and pack business, thinking you can go around ordering those beneath you,¡± ¡°I don¡¯t give a damn about titles; you¡¯re a rogue. If I cared about titles, I would have rejected you by now. Most Alpha¡¯s would have, you should be grateful I want you; others wouldn¡¯t given your status.¡± ¡°So you admit it then, titles matter because you just admitted to needing to mark me out of obligation to your pack like I am some breeding machine made for you to provide an heir, all because your asshole of a father told you to,¡± Valen growls at me, taking a step closer. ¡°You don¡¯t know my father, so don¡¯t speak of him that way, he founded this City, have you no respect, and as for an heir, that is exactly what you were created for, you were fated to me, and therefore belong to me, Everly. You are lucky my father stopped the rogues being tossed from the City and made forsaken. You should be thanking him, not cursing him out.¡± ¡°And at what cost, whose lives did he destroy to make sure he got where he is, the only thing Alphas care about is reputation and how muchnd they own, while rest of us are cast away and forgotten about, thank him, he is half the issue with this City he created,¡± ¡°Oh for the love of God, I didn¡¯t make you a damn rogue, my father isn¡¯t responsible for what other packs do, rogues make the choices that get themselves banished from their packs, I am not responsible for their actions, or yours, ¡° ¡°So you believe every rogue whore decided they wanted to raise their babies alone with no mates or pack support, have their Children forced into crappy schools because they can¡¯t attend pack ones, work for less than minimum wage while struggling not to be picked off by the forsaken or hunters, forever med because they did the one thing all you egotistical men did, they had a child and you all shun them for it, it takes two people to have a baby Valen, yet only the woman is punished for it,¡± ¡°So you¡¯re telling me you are a rogue whore, that¡¯s how you became a rogue, you weren¡¯t born one, I won¡¯t raise another person¡¯s kid because you wanted to screw around,¡± He says with a growl. I scoff. This is precisely what I meant ; he still shared the same beliefs as his father; the title is all that matters. ¡°I am not a rogue whore, but it shouldn¡¯t matter if I were. This entire ce is run by rogue whores Valen. Not like we tried to keep it a secret, ¡± I tell him. Technically I wasn¡¯t lying. I wasn¡¯t a rogue whore. My mate fathered my son, and I just couldn¡¯t let him know about it. ¡°So this about your friend you live with then?¡± ¡°What, no,¡± I pinch my brow, letting out a breath. How does he not get it? I click my tongue, annoyed. C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. ¡°I am offering for you to be part of my pack. You should be happy to have me as your mate ; you won¡¯t have to be rogue anymore, isn¡¯t that what you want? Don¡¯t you want to be in a position of power and not slumming it here with rogue whores?¡± Valen asks. I wanted so many things, and not one of them could he give me. I wanted Vrie back, my family back. I wanted the rogues to feel safe in the City they lived in. I wanted to be able to walk down the street without being red at and have people move away from me like I would steal their mates. I wanted the pack¡¯s views of us to be better, but most of all, I wanted the packs ountable for the anguish they have caused us. We were the same, only dered different because of who our parents are or because of who we shared our beds with, punished for nothing, shamed for making our own choices, choices that took two people to make. ¡°I want you to leave is what I want,¡± I tell him before walking out before I p him. ¡°You will regret this Everly; you wille running back, you¡¯ll see, you will beg me to mark you,¡± I don¡¯t acknowledge his words. Instead, I am angry that he was blinded by what was happening in his city, the City, his father, helped build. The following day, I was helping organize a function when a man with a clipboard approached me with Macey. I recognized him quickly, and he looked around nervously. ¡°Jim, long time no see, what brings you in here?¡± I ask, looking at the man that caused us hell while trying to get this ce in order. The health and safety inspector taps his notepad. ¡°We have had a calle in with a fewints. I am just here to check a few things, ¡± I fold my arms across my chest and raise an eyebrow at him. ¡°Thisint didn¡¯t happen toe from Alpha Valen, did it,¡± I ask, and he clears his throat. Ufortable with my question, he sighs, looking down at his clipboard. ¡°I am not at liberty to say,¡± he says when Zoe suddenlyes rushing through the doors, waving both her arms, trying to get my attention. She slows, spotting the inspector before stopping beside me and leaning close to whisper in my ear. ¡°There is a tow truck towing your car, ¡± ¡°What! ¡± I shriek, walking quickly through the gardens and stalking around the front to the car park. Chapter 26 Chapter 26 Valen POV Everly thought she could just dismiss me and I would let her; she was wrong. I get what I want, and I want Everly. I refuse to be mated to some girl out of responsibility when I had a perfectly good but unwilling mate. My father would choke on his spit if he knew she was rogue, but I didn¡¯t care. If she is my bond, then I trusted the Moon Goddess; she would not give me faulty one, Everly would be mine. I would make sure of that, everyone has a breaking point, and I will find hers. I sat across the road with a smug look on my face eager to see the look on hers and I watched the tow truck pull up that I organized this morning. I already sent the health and safety inspector in and could see his car in the parking lot from where I stood. Her truck was just an added annoyance. The beeping of the reversing truck instantly alerts staff something is going on, and I see Zoe Everly¡¯s little friend rush out when she notices it backing up to the truck with the Hotel¡¯s logo on it. Everly believes she can ignore the Mate bond; well, I will make sure she sees me every turn she makes. Zoe waves her arms frantically at the driver. One of my men, Dwayne, ignores her as he backs up. The burly-looking man steps out of the cab and stops next to her, looking down at Zoe. I could just make out her telling him to leave that he was on private property. ¡°No can do love, this car has been ordered to be impounded for defects, ¡± He tells her, and I get out leaning on the hood of my car. The tow truck driver spotting me gives me a thumbs up, and I nod for him to continue, and he starts hooking the old thing up. It didn¡¯t take long before Zoe returned with a frustrated Everly in toe. She shoves the man as he starts hoisting her car onto the bed of his truck. Dwayne looked at her shocked, and honestly, so was I. Not that she moved him. Dwayne remained precisely where he was, and she may as well have been a child pushing on a brick wall as she stood beside him. Everly tries to snatch the contro11er from his hand, but he was holding it too high for her to reach. I found the pure rage on her face funny, and I couldn¡¯t help butugh, and that is how she spots me. Her grey-blue eyes pin me where I stand before her lips press into a line and her hands ball into fists, she storms over to me in a raging fit, and I fold my arms across my chest just before she stops in front me. I found her pint-size rage entertaining; her tiny body was no threat to me. Everly barely came up to my chin and had to turn her face up to look up at me. I smirk back at her, her eyes practically spitting fireballs at me. Good thing she isn¡¯t a witch. She definitely would have cursed me with the look she gave me. She could ignore me all she wants, but Everly can¡¯t overlook in y influence in this City; she will give in. ¡°What the hell are you doing?¡± She demands, poking me in the chest with her finger. I snatch her hand, holding it in mine, and she tries to rip it free. Her strength is nothingpared to mine, and something about that bothered me. What if someone grabbed her who wasn¡¯t me? It was clear she would never be able to fight them off. She growls at me, and I realize how non-existent her aura is, like she didn¡¯t have one. Rogues had auras too, weaker and nothing inparison to a pack wolf, but she had none, her growl meek, and if it wasn¡¯t for the look of anger on her face, it might as well have been a purr. ¡°Let go, and make him stop, ¡° ¡°Let me mark you, and I will,¡± I tell her, and she snarls at me, her canines slipping from her gums. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Go for it, bite away; I don¡¯t care if you want to mark me first. Either way, you will be mine, ¡° ¡°You are bloody infuriating, this won¡¯t win you any brownie points, ¡± Everly snarls, and I tug her closer before spinning and pressing her against the hood of my car. Her breathing bes harder as I press closer to her. God, her body feels good pressed against mine, her scent making my mouth water, and I fight the urge to push my face into her neck, losing the battlepletely when I do, but she gasps and I feel her pulse beating against my lips. Everly¡¯s hand still clutched in mine loosens, and her body goes ck against me when I press closer to her. Her breathing intensifies as I run my nose along the column of her throat to her ear. So warm and enticing. Her heart is pounding in her chest when I feel her other hand grip the front of my shirt feebly. I could tell she was trying to fight off the effects of the bond, telling her to give in. Telling her to give herself to me, to an Alpha. The vibration of my purr rattles my chest, and before I could stop myself. I ran my tongue across her neck. I groaned at the taste of her skin on the tip of my tongue. Damn, she tasted better than her scent, and I wanted to devour her. However, the action seems to snap her back, and she tries to shove me off, fighting against me. I pull back to look at her, only for her palm to connect with my face. My cheek stings from her p, and if looks could kill, I would be reduced to dust. ¡°Get off me, you brute, ¡° I rub my cheek with my hand. Her p made my skin tingle and burn, but I don¡¯t move away from her. Instead, looking over my shoulder to see the tow truck leaving with her vehicle on the back. ¡°Well, seems like you need a lift to the impound yard?¡± She growls at me, and I purr back at her before she starts smacking my chest and I raise an eyebrow at her. She makes a noise of frustration before ring at me and fixing her hair putting herself back together like she didn¡¯t just chuck a hissy fit in public. ¡°I swear, Valen. You will regret doing that. Tell him to bring it back now. That truck has sentimental value. It was given to me by someone I cared about. Now ring him, and undo it,¡± I run my finger down her neck, and she shivers under my touch. My cock twitches in my pants, seeing the effect I have on her. She feels the bond, she could deny me all she wants, but she can¡¯t deny the mate bond. ¡°Not until you agree to be mine. If you want it back, all it takes is one little mark to sit right here, ¡± my finger stops where her shoulder meets her neck and my gums tingle. I desperately want to mark her as mine, craving for her skin to break under the pressure of my teeth when I give her my mark that would forevery on her skin, telling the world she is mine. ¡°Valen, please, ¡± She asks, and I look down at her, her face turned, watching the tow truck move down the street, taking away her truck. ¡°It¡¯s just a truck, Everly. If you want it back, you know what you have to do,¡± Her jaw clenches, and she turns to look back at me. My stomach sinks when I see her eyes teary like she was fighting the urge to cry. It was just a truck and an old one at that. It wasn¡¯t even new why she would get so emotional over that old thing was beyond me. ¡°You have no right, ¡± She snarls. ¡°Maybe you forget who I am; I have every right. I own this city, and I say what happens in it, Everly. The sooner you realize that the better it will be for you; I could give you everything you ever wanted, ¡° ¡°Not everything, Valen. You can¡¯t give me thest five years of my life back, ¡± She says, shoving me away, and I let her. ¡°If you haven¡¯t figured it out yet, Valen, I don¡¯t care for your social status or your money; I make my own, I don¡¯t need yours, and I certainly don¡¯t want it. ¡°I can make your life miserable, Everly,¡± Everlyughs, which startles me; a threat from the blood Alpha isn¡¯t to be taken lightly; she knows I am capable of destroying her and those that work for her. I could have her Hotel torn to the ground, and no one would bat an eysh at what I did, especially for some rogue girl. ¡°Do your worst, Valen, don¡¯t forget my reputation as a rogue is minusculepared to the reputation you have. Who do you think will suffer more when it¡¯s tarnished. Certainly not me. They already think I am the lowest scum to reside in this City. Yet they still walk through those doors. They still visit my Hotel. Miserable, you don¡¯t know the meaning of the word, but you will. I will make sure of it,¡± Everly says before turning on her heel about to cross the road. My phone rings, and she nces at me as I pull it out to see the towingpany name pop up on the screen. ¡°This would be about your car,¡± I tell her, and she turns to face me, folding her arms across my chest. I answer it putting it on speakerphone so she can hear. ¡°Alpha, ¡± Dwayne states. ¡°Am I bringing it back? Should I take it back to the yard?¡± ¡°That is up to, Everly, ¡± I tell him raising an eyebrow at her wanting an answer. She res at me. ¡°What will it be Everly, ¡° ¡°Go f*ck yourself, Alpha, ¡± She sneers. Dwayne whistles at her tone. ¡°Wow, so what would you like me to do,¡± ¡°Crush it,¡± I tell him, not taking my eyes from her, she takes a step toward me, and her hands clench before she closes her eyes tightly, breathing deeply. ¡°Alpha?¡± Dwayne asks. ¡°I said crush it, take it to the scrapyard and make sure it isn¡¯t salvageable, ¡± I tell him. Her eyes snap open, and I raise an eyebrow at her. Everly¡¯s eyes burn with unshed tears, and she shakes her head, and I hang up my phone. ¡°Could have been avoided, ¡± I tell her. ¡°Yeah, if only I never met you, all of this could have been avoided, ¡± She spits at me before turning on her heel and darting across the road. I notice Zoe and Macey waiting out the front for her, and she shakes her head when Macey reaches for her, swatting their hands away before chasing after her. I start driving off, heading home to n my next move since this one was unsessful. I would have to think of another way, she would give in; it is only a matter of time. I was halfway home, yet my thoughts kept going back to her. I needed to look into her background, find out more about her, but I didn¡¯t know herst name; it should be on the Hotel¡¯s information. Might exin why she was so difficult and why she would be so upset by a car? I also want to know what she did to be a rogue since she wasn¡¯t a rogue -whore. I cou1dn¡¯t forget the way her lip trembled when I said to crush her car, I felt like an asshole. It made no sense, she had enough money to buy another one; she owns a damn Hotel, for goodness sake. No way in hell would I be caught dead in that old piece of junk. She should be thanking me for removing it; now she has reason to buy another when I suddenly nch. ¡°F*ck, her car,¡± I dart off to the side of the road. Pulling my phone out of my pocket, I quickly ring Dwayne back. ¡°Hello,¡± ¡°Where are you?¡± ¡°Next door at the scrapyard, doing what you asked,¡± ¡°Don¡¯t let them crush it,¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Please tell me they haven¡¯t crushed it yet,¡± ¡°Oh shit,¡± He says, and I hear banging around in his truck and the sound of a door being mmed before hearing Dwayne hollering and yelling for them to stop. My heart pounded in my chest while I waited, praying it wasn¡¯t destroyed. I heard more banging before heavy breathing could be heard, and Dwayne sounded like he had just run a marathon. He was a big guy, and he sounded puffed out as he grabbed the phone. ¡°Yesh, that was close. Good thing you rang another second, and it would have been crushed into a can¡± I let out a breath of relief while he tried to catch his, breathing heavily into the phone. What do you want me to do with it?¡± he asks, sounding more normal. ¡°Put it in my garage out of sight, cover it over. I don¡¯t want my father seeing it if he stops over,¡± ¡°Rightio, ¡± Dwayne answers and I go to hang up when I hear his voice again. ¡°Hey, Boss, ¡° ¡°Yeah, what is it?¡± ¡°She is your mate isn¡¯t she, I haven¡¯t seen you try this hard to get a girl in a while, figured she must be special if you are trying to make her chase after you, ¡± Dwayne says. ¡°Keep it between us; I don¡¯t need my father knowing for now, ¡° ¡°Yeah, we all know he hates rogues, but by the look on her face when she spotted you, she hates Alphas more, ¡± I ponder his words for a second. ¡°Oh and you might want to have patrols set up around her perimeter, forsaken have been spotted multiple times thest couple weeks, that Hotel backs onto the reserve, not a safe ce right now, your dad pulled all the patrols away to focus on the pack¡¯s perimeters only, ¡° I growl. He had no authority to do that. Only Alphas did, and he no longer held the title. ¡°Thanks, I will handle it; I will get Marcus onto it straight away,¡± Chapter 27 Chapter 27 Everly POV Tears of frustration streaked down my face as I stormed away from him. Zoe and Macey were waiting, but I was too upset to speak to them as I ran to my office. Both of them followed me inside, and Macey was clutching a piece of paper in her hand. ¡°You ok?¡± Macey asks, and I nod. However, I was anything but ok. That was Valerie¡¯s car, I know it was silly, but it was hers, just like everything of hers I kept down in the storage lockers. I couldn¡¯t bring myself to throw it away. ¡°We will get it back, ¡± Zoe offers, and I shake my head. ¡°He had it crushed when I refused to let him mark me, ¡°Asshole, I¡¯m sorry, Everly, ¡± Macey says, and I sniffle ; it wasn¡¯t their fault. Macey clears her throat, and I nce at her resting on the edge of my desk as I used a tissue to wipe away my childish tears, buying another was no issue, but I loved that car because it was hers. ¡°The Inspector-, ¡° ¡°Crap, I forgot, ¡± I tell them, getting up, and Macey waves me away, holding a piece of paper out to me. I take it from her and read it; a sound of annoyance leaves me when I see what is written on it. ¡°This is bullshit; they are too standard. He checkedst time,¡± Macey nods. ¡°He said he will be back in a week to check the guard rails are fixed. And the fence around the pool had been reced.¡± ¡°Anything else?¡± I ask, and Zoe chews her lip nervously. ¡°He said whatever you have done to piss off the Alpha you need to fix, that he has been asked to find any fault to shut us down unless you give Valen what he wants, ¡° ¡°You didn¡¯t tell him,¡± ¡°Of course not,¡± I nod in relief. ¡± I¡¯ll handle this, then I wille and grab the kids from school with you, ¡± I tell Zoe, who nods. ¡°Also, one of the fridges is down; I have sent for an electrician, ¡± Macey adds as they are leaving. This day couldn¡¯t get any worse. However, I spoke too soon. No electrician woulde out, not even a handyman. I went through my contact list of rogues with different trades looking for anyone with any skills with appliances or electricals but found none. Zoe¡¯s daughter¡¯s father was away from the City visiting his mate¡¯s family, so we couldn¡¯t as for his help either. When it was time to pick up the kids, Zoe met me by her car at the hotel¡¯s front. ¡°Any luck?¡± ¡°No,¡± I groan. ¡°We¡¯ll figure it out, we still have one running, and we could bring one down from one of the apartments, ¡° We will have to bring two down, one won¡¯t be big enough, and that means two apartments won¡¯t be avable until I order a new one; if I can request a new one, I have a strange feeling we will be struggling to get it delivered, ¡° The following day, Another forsaken was spottedst night; a few people staying at the hotel decided not to risk it and left knowing the Hotel was a good entry into the city. Regardless, it was Saturday, and we were waiting for the food delivery to arrive for the wedding being held this afternoon. Like I thought, I couldn¡¯t get a delivery truck with the new fridge in time, we had a week¡¯s wait, and it took six of us to haul two of the fridges down from the apartments outback that ran next to the functions room, thankfully the forsaken sightings had scared off a few guests giving us extra spaces in the hotel itself to make up being down two apartments which were reserved for the wedding guests. I nce at my watch; the food delivery should havee into the City an hour ago. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, mummy?¡± Valerian asks as I paced frantically out in the loading dock for the delivery to arrive. ¡°Just waiting for a supplies truck sweety, what are you doing? ¡± I ask, stopping and staring at him. He had his hand propped up on his chin while he stared down at a sheet of paper. He had asked for some photos earlier, and I had given him my photo album to pick some out. He had been quietly working on some school project in the delivery shed, which is out the back of the kitchen. He was so patient, Casey had trouble sitting still for long, yet Vrian had been out here an hour and had noints while we waited for the severelyte truck. ¡°Do you have any pictures of my dad?¡± He asked and froze, going over to see what he was looking at. ¡°Um, no, I don¡¯t think I do,¡± I tell him, brushing his hair back and ncing at what he was working on. ¡°This for school? ¡± I ask him, and he nods. It was a family tree. ¡°Casey has pictures of her dad; why haven¡¯t you got any pictures of mine?¡± He asks. I chew the inside of my lip. There were small cut-out pictures, and Vrie was at the top, the space next to her empty. I tried to be as honest as I could; he knew Vrie was his father¡¯s mother and grandmother. The area beside her was empty because I couldn¡¯t risk having him mention his grandfather¡¯s name at school. The following line was a picture of me along with a spare that was nk. Coming off my picture were some lines where he had glued cut-out pictures of Macey and Zoe. ¡°You put them in our family tree?¡± I smile. ¡°Yes, they are my aunties, Casey and Taylor my cousin¡¯s, our little vige,¡± Valerian states. ¡°That¡¯s right, our little vige, our family, ¡± I tell him. He stares at the nk spots on the page. ¡°You really don¡¯t have a photo of him?¡± I shake my head, wishing I could give him one, I could possibly get one off the Inte, but the teachers at school would recognize him instantly. ¡°What about your parents and my grandpa?¡± He asks, pointing to the other vacant spots. Again something I couldn¡¯t give him, and it made me feel guilty; they were too recognizable, and I had my name changed before he was born. My father removed all traces of me, and I used my grandmother¡¯s maiden name, Summer¡¯s; that was the only piece I had left of my family and a life I no longer had. ¡°I will check,¡± I tell him, and he smiles brightly. ¡°What were they like?¡± ¡°My parents?¡± He nods, ¡°You never talk about them, ¡° I think of what I can tell him; I dreaded th¨¨se sorts of questions, the information I could give him was limited. ¡°Well, my mum looked a lot like me; I have her facial features but my dad¡¯s eyes and his dark hair. My dad. I pause for a second. ¡°when I was little; I used to think he was a superhero; he liked to y and would always y with my sister and me after he finished work,¡± ¡°You have a sister too? A real one? ¡± He asks, and I nod sadly. ¡°She used to be my best friend, ¡° ¡°What happened to them? Can I meet them? ¡± He asks. ¡°Maybe one day, ¡± I tell him, though whether that day woulde is unforeseeable. My phone starts ringing, and Valerian turns back to his work. ncing at the screen, I see the delivery truck I was waiting on. ¡°You¡¯rete,¡± I answered. ¡°Yes, and it is out of my hands; I have been stopped at the city entrance, I tried to exin, and I had to wait for some Alpha to get here; they have been searching the truck and only just gave my phone back.¡± The man tells me, and I sigh. ¡°Everything still cold?¡± I ask. ¡°Yes, the delivery is fine, but that Alpha I was telling you about wants to speak with you, ¡° ¡°Which one?¡± ¡°Alpha Valen, he said his name was, I¡¯m not too familiar with your kind or their politics, but he asked a bit about you, asked if I was a secret lover, he seems quite intense, ¡± he says nervously before clearing his throat. ¡°I will chuck him on,¡± ¡°Everly, it seems you have found yourself in another predicament,¡° Valen chuckles. ¡°Stop messing around; I need that truck. I have a wedding in five hours, ¡° ¡°Well, then seems like you will want to negotiate then,¡° ¡°I am not letting you mark me,¡° I snap at him, forgetting Vrian was sitting behind me; I nce over my shoulder and meet his questioning gaze before sighing. ¡°What do you want?¡° Before quickly adding. ¡°Anything but-¡° ¡°Let me hold the Alpha meeting at your Hotel, ¡° He says, cutting me off. ¡°Definitely not,¡° I tell him. ¡°That¡¯s my offer; what have you got to lose? It brings more business to your Hotel and will get you media coverage for the Hotel, ¡° Valen says, and I roll my eyes; that was thest thing I wanted. However, that was not the issue. It would be risking Valen finding out who my father is, which would also mean confronting my father. ¡°So, am I sending the truck back where it came from? I need an answer; you have a lot of seafood in this truck be a shame for it to go to waste.¡° I press my lips together. ¡°Fine, what date?¡° I spit through gritted teeth. Maybe it wouldn¡¯t be so bad, and this could be a chance for Vrian to meet my sister and mother. Or it could go exactly how I am thinking, and I end up humiliated, or my son is denied, or it goes smoothly, yeah right, talk about wishful thinking. ¡±Any date in three weeks, you can pick the date, but it has to be three weeks max, ¡± Valen tells me. ¡±And my delivery?¡± Then another thought caine to me suddenly. ¡±Oh, and the restaurant fridge blew up, so if you want the Alpha meeting held at my hotel, I need a new fridge delivered in the next hour; think you can manage that?¡± ¡±It will be there in twenty minutes along with a fridge, I am trusting you not to go back on your word, and I advise you don¡¯t, I will text you the numbers, and you can send me the cost and details along with the date, ¡± Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡±I am not giving you my number , just send it to the Hotel email address, and I email it back through, ¡± ¡±You don¡¯t have to give it to me, Love. Your delivery driver has it written write here on your invoice, talk soon, ¡± He says before hanging up the phone. You idiot, I never should have put my mobile on the companies info. Darn it. Now I had to think fast about what to do about the entire Alpha meeting issue; on the plus side, the truck is on its way, and a fridge, I will count it as a win for now. Chapter 28 Chapter 28 The wedding went off without a hitch; I was just settling behind my desk, getting ready to finish up for the day, leaving the night manager to handle the end of the wedding. I was about to log out when my phone vibrated. Valen: Still waiting for that invoice? Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. I nned on ignoring him and dealing with it tomorrow, but his next text message had me scrambling for my email. Valen: Do I need to stop over and deal with it personally, force you to submit and make the booking? Maybe I may mark you too. Ivy: Sending it through now and the booking confirmation. I quickly reply, going through the calendar to find a suitable date. I added it to the schedule when an idea hit me. If it costs too much, he would surely decline. Writing up the invoice. I sent it through to his work email, which he texted through earlier in the day. I chuckle to myself when my phone starts vibrating on my desk. I stifle myugh and pick it up. ¡°Fifty thousand dors?¡± Valen exims. I pull the phone away, so he doesn¡¯t hear meughing before composing myself. ¡°That extra half-star rating costs a lot, you wouldn¡¯t know, you only have what is it? Four stars? ¡± I tell him having a dig at the fact my Hotel¡¯s rating was currently half a star higher than his. ¡°It is outrageous, what are you serving that it will cost that much, do I at least get my cock sucked for that much?¡± He asks. ¡°Oh, you know the finest finger food, fairy bread, with premium sprinkles, frankfurts and tomato sauce, the good stuff reserved specifically for the Blood Alpha, if I am feeling generous, I may add in a pass the parcel and goody bags, but as for the cock sucking I ann sure Ashley will do a fine job, I would rather skip on any STD¡¯ s,¡± I tell him. Valen growls. ¡°I don¡¯t have any STD¡¯s. You think this will turn me away?¡± He snaps. ¡°I am hoping so,¡± ¡°No, chance. Fine, you want to serve all the Alpha¡¯s in the City, kids party food, go for it. Check your bank in the morning; the money will be there, oh and Everly?¡± ¡°Yes, Alpha, ¡± I say, bored and wanting to go to bed. ¡°I will be seeing you real soon, and if I am paying this much it wannae with a happy ending from you personally, ¡± Heughs and hangs up. I wonder what he means. I hadn¡¯t even gotten back to my apartment when my bank notified me that a payment was ced into the Hotel¡¯s bank ount. That was fast; I groaned as I opened it and saw it was definitely from Valen. ¡± Damn it,¡± I mutter. I was so sure he would refuse. Not only was he officially holding the Alpha meeting here, but he had also paid in full, and I now had to host for Four packs. The girls are going to kill me, thest thing rogues want is to be spoken down to by Social elites all night, and the catering team will be fuming when they see we are not hosting for one Alpha but four plus a few neighboring city Alphas. Hmm, I could bribe them with a bonus, maybe? Stepping inside, Zoe was watching TV, yawning. She looks back at me over the couch. ¡°Oh no, what happened,¡± ¡°We may be hosting the Alpha meeting. Well, we are hosting the Alpha meeting, ¡± Zoe sighs. ¡°This is what you didn¡¯t want to tell Macey and I when we asked how you got the delivery truck and a fridge in?¡± I nod, chewing my lip nervously. ¡°Charge him double that will send him packing, ¡± ¡°I charged him fifty thousand, ¡± Zoeughs. ¡°That¡¯ll definitely send him elsewhere, ¡± Sheughs, but I don¡¯t. ¡°No, no, he didn¡¯t, ¡± I shrugged, pressing my lips in a line grimly. ¡°That son of¡­. Lovelydy, ¡± Zoe corrects. ¡°Shit, what do we do about the kids, Vrian and Casey? Both their fathers will be there, and if Micah is here, guaranteed he will bring his mate,¡± Zoe says, chewing her lip worriedly. Micah was Casey¡¯s father, and he still hadn¡¯t told his mate he had an illegitimate child, which worried Zoe because his mate Ana was struggling with fertility. ¡°Maybe we can ask Macey¡¯s mum; it¡¯s not for three weeks. We have time to figure out something, ¡° ¡°It is what it is,¡± Zoe says with a shrug. ¡°What about your father?¡± She asks. ¡°He will probably just ignore me, I would say, I haven¡¯t seen him since the hardware store years ago, ¡°Maybe he might be over it, want to reconnect?¡± ¡°Maybe I don¡¯t though, he tossed me away, although Vrian asked me about my family today, also asked about Valen, ¡± I tell her. ¡°What did you say? I saw the family tree thing. Casey brought one home too, ¡° ¡°Vrian added you, Macey, and the girls on it,¡± I smile. ¡°Bloody better have I am the best Aunty anyone could ask for,¡± Zoe states, and I chuckle. ¡°Did they go down easy tonight?¡± ¡°Casey had a tummy ache, but Vrian went down easily, he asked when you would be home, and he was digging around in your room earlier too. He took some pictures from the photo album.¡± I nod. ¡°Yeah, I told him he could¡± Zoe chews her lip nervously. ¡°He overheard you on the phone earlier, asked what being marked meant, ¡° ¡°What did you tell him,¡± ¡°That mates mark each other, ¡° ¡°Shit,¡± I pinch the bridge of my nose. ¡°He overheard me on the phone to Valen this morning, ¡± Zoe sighs, ¡± I figured, he is sometimes too smart for his own good that boy is,¡± Monday two dayster. We were runningte the next morning for school drop -off, and Zoe and I both forgot it was crazy hair day. Macey reminded us when we walked out this morning and saw the kid¡¯s hairs not done, so we were currently on our way to buy some spray in hair color. Pulling up at the local grocer, Zoe ran inside before returning with electric blue hair color in a can, and one called glitter bomb. We pulled both kids from her little yellow Volkswagon. Casey giggled excitedly as her hair was changed to blue. Valerian, however, pouted. ¡°I don¡¯t want to look like a smurf,¡± he says. ¡°Zoe said it is the only colors they had left. It¡¯s for a good cause, it¡¯s to raise money for the children¡¯s hospital and for you kids to have fun,¡± I tell him. ¡°What about the glitter one?¡± Zoe asks. Valerian crosses his arm, looking at Casey dancing around the car park beside the car with her blue hair. ¡°No, it will make my hair sticky, ¡± he says. ¡± Come on, Val, just a little, ¡± I beg him. Gosh, this child was sometimes difficult. Would it kill him to be a kid for once? ¡°You will be the only kid without your hair done,¡± Zoe tells him, and he side eyes, Casey. ¡± Please, ¡± I ask. ¡°Fine, just one line,¡± Valerian gives in, and Zoe draws a glitter line from the front of his head to the back. She shrugs. You could barely see it in his dark hair. ¡°Better than nothing, ¡± She says, and we count it as a win. Climbing back in the car, we head to the school. The teachers were waiting out the front hair, all done up in colorful clothes and crazy hair. The school was run-down and derelict-looking. Covered in graffiti and there were only around two hundred students total, and the teachers were barely educated enough to teach at it. It angered me that only two streets away on this side was Alpha Valen¡¯s pack schoo1, and across the road three other pack schools, yet children of Rogues or Rogues-whores were ssed as undeserving of getting a proper education, the least they could allow would-be actual teachers. When we enrolled the kids in school, Macey, Zoe, and I walked through ; they barely had a library, had only one oldputer to be shared amongst the kids. We decided to raise money for the schoo1, so for two weeks, half of all hotel sales and rooms fees went to the school. It was clear the packs weren¡¯t going to help, but in a way, they did without knowing it by attending the fair we held at the Hotel. We raised enough that newptops were brought, and the library actually looked like a library, half the shelves packed with different books. ¡°I just had an idea on what the bonus from the Alpha meeting can be used for,¡± I tell Zoe. ¡± I still can¡¯t believe he paid it,¡± I point to the run ¨C down y equipment; Macey¡¯s daughter Taylor fell offst week and broke her arm on it after falling through the bridge between the two tforms. Zoe smiles. ¡°Thank you, Alpha Valen, ¡± she murmurs. ¡°Was going to ask those willing to cater for the event if they would take a double bonus for the night and the rest of the amount go towards the y equipment at the school?¡± ¡°You know they will say yes, look how keen they were for the fair we held; everyone has kids that attend here, ¡° ¡°Yes, but it is also a big ask for them to put up with the Alphaholes, ¡± I tell her, and she snickers. ¡°True, but they will be happy, you¡¯ll see,¡± Zoe says, smiling. I could tell she was excited, we all got excited when it came to helping the other Rogues and children. Opening the back door, I let Vrian out and peck him on the cheek, and he instantly wiped it off. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡° I ask him and he scowls. ¡°Who were you talking to on Saturday?¡° Valerian asks. He had been in a mood all weekend. ¡°Just the delivery people,¡° I tell him, knowing exactly what he was referring to. He had been probing me all weekend every chance he got about his father. ¡°You¡¯re lying, you said he couldn¡¯t mark you, I heard a man¡¯s voice. Zoe said Mates mark each other, why did you say that man couldn¡¯t mark you? Is he your mate, is it my dad?¡° He asks and I nce at Zoe, she mouths sorry at me. ¡°No, it was a figure of speech?¡° I lie but his eyes narrow, reading straight through me, this kid was too observant. ¡°Is this why you have been in a bad mood, ¡° ¡°Why isn¡¯t my dad your mate?¡° He asks. ncing around the teachers were pretending not to overhear. All this over some homework, I sigh, wondering if I could find a way around this. ¡°Billy said you were a Rogue -whore and that is why my dad isn¡¯t around, ¡° Billy was a little punk and him Vrian were always fighting. ¡°He said that did he?¡° I ask with a growl. ¡°Yep, so punched him in his ugly face, but then I thought about it what he said, and now I want to know?¡° he demands. ¡°Ok, we can talk about this when you get home, ¡° I tell him and he res at me. ¡°The wind will change and your face will get stuck like that? ¡° I tell him and he huffs folding his arms across his chest. ¡°Not here, Vrian, ¡° I tell him and he looks around. ¡°Fine, but when I get home I want to know who my dad is, and why I can¡¯t see him.¡° He frowns. ¡°I don¡¯t like them calling you and Aunty Zoe names, ¡° he adds and I smile grimly. ¡°Well, Billy¡¯s dad is a Rogue because he spat in his Alpha¡¯s face,¡° Zoe adds behind me. Valerian makes a face of disgust. ¡°See, nasty boy he is,¡° I tell Vrian. ¡°You promise you will tell me? ¡° I sigh and look at Zoe and she frowns. ¡°I will tell you what I can,¡° ¡°Pinky promise?¡° ¡°Pinky promise,¡° I grab his little pinky and his mood seems to lift slightly before he turns around. Now, I had to figure out what I could tell him without giving too much away. He rushes off toward the front gate with Casey, and I see Taylor there waiting for them. ¡± Hey Aunty, Zoe, Aunty Eva,¡± Taylor calls. Waving brightly with her broken arm in a cast. The kids had all drawn on and colored in. ¡°Hey, sweetie, ¡° ¡°Can Ie over swimming on the weekend, ¡± Taylor calls out to us. ¡°Of course, if you want, I will even ask your mother for a sleepover, ¡± I tell her, knowing I am off this weekend. It was the first weekend I had off in a year. The girls insisted, and I was actually looking forward to giving Zoe a break. Macey always joked we would never need a man because we had each other and was practically married with the way we handled the kids between us. ¡°Yes, ¡± Taylor fist bumps the air excitedly. Zoe waves goodbye, and I climb back in the passenger seat, missing my truck. However, on the short drive home, I drive past Alpha Valen in his ck Mercedes. The windows cked out, but it was the only one of those cars I had seen. ¡°Pull over and turn around, ¡± I tell Zoe. She looks for a safe ce to turn around and we turn back the way he was driving. When we find his car, he is already out of it, and it is parked out the front of the public library. ¡°Is that Alpha Valen¡¯s car?¡± Zoe asks, and I nod. ¡°No, no. Whatever your thinking, no,¡± Zoe says, pulling in beside it. ¡°What are you going to do?¡± ¡°He ruined Vrie¡¯s car, so I am going to ruin his,¡± Also, I was still pissed off about the entire schooling thing. Seeing the giant school two streets away that no Rogue child could attend irritated me. The kids always asked what the big building was they could see from the main road. The pristine white sandstone school was erected when the first packhouse was, along with the church, the kids also weren¡¯t allowed to attend. Packs were allowed to travel freely where they wanted as long as they went by the other pack¡¯s rules while visiting the other territories. Rogue wasn¡¯t even allowed to look, let alone attend anything that wasn¡¯t on the main street or in the designated Rogue areas. Getting out, Zoe squeaks. ¡°Eve,¡± She hisses when I grab the cans of hair spray and also dig through her tiny trunk. ¡°What are you looking for?¡± ¡°Got a screwdriver?¡± I ask her. ¡°You scratch that car he will lose it,¡± ¡°Not going to ruin its paint. Besides, this crap will wash off with water,¡± I tell her. She rolls her eyes before rummaging around and passing me a tire valve remover. ¡°Why do you have that?¡± She shrugs, looking up at the sky. ¡°I may have used it on Micah¡¯s car a few times, ¡± She mutters, and I raise an eyebrow at her. ¡°And you are trying to stop me? You¡¯re just as bad,¡± ¡± He owed me child support, ¡± Zoe huffs. I chuckle I was nning on stabbing the tires, but this will work even better. I set to work, and I toss Zoe the can of spray glitter, and she uses it to cover his car while also keeping a lookout. The air wheezed out of the tires quickly, and I raced to the front window and wrote on it with the blue spray dye. ¡®Alphahole xx¡¯ I wrote instead of asshole. I quickly rush back to Zoe¡¯s car, his tires all t, and weugh as we drive away. We did no real damage, but it would be annoying, yet I wondered why he was at the public library. ¡°You know he will figure it out?¡± Zoe says. ¡°Innocent until proven guilty, ¡° ¡°Who else would be game enough to do that to the Blood Alpha,¡± Zoe snickers. She had a point no one crossed him. ¡°Stuff him; he deserves it for making our kids attend shitty schools and for forcing me to hold the Alpha meeting. He will live and I doubt he will bat an eysh at the cost to get it towed and fixed if he is willing to pay fifty K for an Alpha meeting, ¡± I tell her. ¡°Well, I think he will be demanding more than a happy ending when he sees you next for messing with his car, ¡± Zoe says and I pull a face, having forgotten that part. Chapter 29 Chapter 29 Valen POV I finally told Marcus about Everly, and he had organized patrols to run through the reserve for me t o keep an eye on the back end of her Hotel. Someone had broken the fence, and I was organizing it to be fixed; hopefully, sometime today someone would be able to go out there, or I would go myself. Marcus and I had just finished at the library, we found no records of an Everly Summer¡¯s from before five years ago, nothing by the name Everly at all, yet even Marcus said the name sounded familiar. Walking outside, we were about to head to the council chambers to look in the birth records or any records, even bank statements. Anything but the only thing we managed to find was the Hotel¡¯s data and something stating she was in the hospital almost five years ago. Yet didn¡¯t say what for or which part of the hospital; thedy behind the counter told us to try the werewolf council because she couldn¡¯t ess her files for some reason either. ¡°That name sounds so familiar, ¡° Marcus says, shaking his head. ¡°It¡¯s right on the tip of my tongue. I just can¡¯t, for the life of me, figure out where I have heard it, also. Don¡¯t you think it is a little odd that not even you can ess her files?¡° ¡°Yes, obviously, ¡° I tell him. ¡°She has to be hiding something. Why are there no records of an Everly or a Summers? Everly is a unique name. I don¡¯t know anyone with that name yet it sounds familiar,¡° Marcus ponders. Marcus hits the button on his key fob, the blinkers sh, signaling it was unlocked, but we both stopped dead in our tracks. ¡°What the hell, what happened to my car, ¡° Marcus shrieks while rushing over to his beloved car. He just brought it a week ago, having liked mine so much. I press my lips in a line, ncing around for any culprits, and spot the library¡¯s security cameras that point at the car park. ¡°Alphahole?¡° Marcus says, and I walk over to the front of his car. ¡°They have mistaken me for you. Which bastard would do this?¡° He growls angrily. ¡°They removed your tire valves too, ¡° I point out his ttened tires. He starts shaking, fur sprouting along his arms in his anger. He spent all day yesterday polishing and cleaning it and even made me take my shoes off before I got in it this morning. ¡°When I catch this f*cker-, ¡° ¡°Well, you¡¯re in luck, ¡° I tell him, pointing to the cameras and cutting him off. He smiles, rubbing his hands together. Heads would roll when he catches them unless? ¡°Their asses are mine, ¡° he growls, stomping toward the library entrance again. Yet I had a sneaking suspicion Everly¡¯s name was all over this. No one would dare touch anything belonging to me. I smile at her tenacity to try and get revenge. Chuckling to myself, I follow after Marcus. I may have to stop the riot Marcus would no doubt cause in his wrath. The woman at the counter smiles when we return, pushing her sses up the bridge of her nose. ¡°You¡¯re back, Alpha, Beta. What can I help you with this time?¡° ¡°I need to see your security footage, ¡° Marcus all but growls, and the woman startles, shrinking in her seat. I gripped his shoulder, tugging him away, his aura rushed out, and a few people nced at us nervously. ¡°May we look at the security footage, please Agatha, someone has trashed his car out the front, ¡° ¡°Certainly Alpha right this way, ¡° She says. Jumping down from her seat, she disappears behind the counter, and I lean over to look at her, her head barelying to the top of her desk. How in the world does she climb onto that stool? She was so short she would barely be taller than a child and a small one at that. Marcus res around at the people looking for the assant. I chuckle while shaking my head before nudging him toward Agatha, who walks out from behind the counter. ¡°Holy shit, you¡¯re short, ¡° Agatha res at him, and I elbow him. ¡°What, she is, she is the perfect height for, ¡° ¡°Zip it,¡° I tell him. ¡°Well, she is, ¡° He mutters, following after her. She leads us to the back of the library and unlocks a door before pushing it open. She res at Marcus, who pretends not to see as he walks in. ¡°I will be at my desk if you need help; the password is Redmoon, ¡° She says before sticking her nose up like it would make her taller before walking away. ¡°Bet her wolf looks like a chihuahua, ¡° Marcusughs before walking over to theptop. He types in the password before flicking through the files and pulling up today¡¯s date, he start rewinding. C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. The security footage wasn¡¯t the best, and he stopped it when we pulled into the car park. I watch our blurry figures walk into the library, and about five minutester, a little yellow Volkswagon pulls in beside his car. I instantly recognized not only the car but the blue uniform Zoe had on and the ck one Everly always wears. ¡°Their faces are too fuzzy. Does it zoom in?¡° Marcus growls, hitting the button a little too hard. ¡°No need, I know who they are, ¡° I tell him with augh. ¡°Who? Take me to them, I will smack them into next week,¡° ¡°Woah, Rocky, settle down, and you really want to beat on a girl, ¡° ¡°How do you know it¡¯s a girl? That could be anyone, ¡° He says, squinting at the screen. ¡°One because I know the car, two I recognize the uniforms, ¡° Marcus turns in his seat to look at me. ¡°It¡¯s my mate and her friend she lives with. She saw my car the other day. I bet she thought your car was mine, ¡° I chuckle. ¡°Your bond trashed my car?¡° he snaps, ring at the screen. ¡°Appears so,¡° ¡°Well, you better say something to her, or I will, ¡° He growls. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I will handle it, ¡° I tell him, pulling my phone from my pocket and sending Everly a text. Valen: Where are you? It takes her a few minutes for her to reply. Everly: Work, where else would I be? Valen: Didn¡¯t happen to stop by the library today, did you? Everly: No, been at work all morning, us Rogues have no need for books. We aren¡¯t entitled to an education. I briefly wondered what the meaning of thest part of her message was, briefly. I had no doubt it was to have a dig at me about something out of my control. Valen: Next time you want to vandalize my Beta¡¯s car, check for security cameras, have a very pissed ¨C off Beta to deal with because of you. Everly: Well, tell him I ann sorry his Alpha is an *sshole. I thought it was yours. I will double¡ªcheck next time. Valen: There will be a next time? Everly: Depends Valen: you are ying games with the wrong person; Everly, you won¡¯t win. Everly: Fifty K in my bank ount says otherwise; you paid Thirty-Five thousand too much; the Rogue school says thank you for your considerable donation to their y equipment. Would you like mini sausage rolls and party pies to go with your frankfurts and fairy bread? Valen: I would prefer you served on a silver tter. Think you can organize that?¡° Everly: I prefer Gold. Valen: Gold it is then. Everly: Dreaming!! ! Valen: Only of you. So, would you like toe and apologize for your misjudgment? I ept all kinds of begging, sexual favors, but it could all be forgotten and forgiven for a simple mate mark? Everly: Hard pass. Beta Marcus should choose his friends more carefully, and his cars apparently. Beta Marcus, how does she know my Beta¡¯s name? I know he is in the public eye a lot, but he is never mentioned, and the Rogue school? I think to myself. We had Rogue schools, but why would she give them so much money? I needed to check out this Rogue school her friend¡¯s kid goes to. Maybe generosity is the way to get in her good graces, but first, I must get even for my grumpy Beta. I doubt me giving money away to the Rogue school would be a good enough punishment for him. ¡°Why are you smiling like an idiot, Valen? What about my car?¡° ¡°Send it for detailing, ¡° I tell him, waving him off, and Marcus growls before I start dialing Richard¡¯s number. He worked at the City¡¯s police station and was usually on highway patrol. ¡°Yes, Alpha,¡° ¡°Hey, Rich, I have a favor to ask, ¡° Chapter 30 Chapter 30 Everly POV We had just pulled out of the Hotel to go pick the kids up from school; I had managed to find an old photo on the inte today of Alpha Valen when he was a teenager. I hope that would satisfy Vrian¡¯s burning curiosity, and the questions he has about his father. I had no idea what to tell him about his father being my mate or if I should tell him that part; he would question me more, so I was hoping to find a way around that one. Sirens go off behind us just as Zoe pulls onto the road, and she curses under her breath, and nces in the rearview mirror. Zoe¡¯s brows furrow, and she pulls over onto the side of the road. She rummages for her registration papers from the glove box nearly spilling the contents on the floor as she dug for her insurance and registration documents. The officer knocks on the window, and she winds it down. ¡°Afternoon, Ladies,¡° He says. Zoe looked at him like a dear in headlights, I watched her hands tremble nervously. Her sudden fear confused me. ¡°Afternoon, officer,¡° I answer when she says nothing and only stares at the man. I give him a brief wave. ¡°License and registration, ¡° He asks holding his hand out for the documents in Zoe¡¯s hand. Zoe fumbles and I raise an eyebrow at her. Why was she so nervous? ¡°Here, sir, ¡° She stammers, passing her documentation to him. He looks it over briefly and hands it back to her. ¡°I am afraid I have to book you for?¡° He pauses, walking around the car before kneeling in front of her Volkswagon and looking under it. He gets up walking around to my side, checking the exterior of the car.N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. ¡°Bald tires,¡° He states. I raise an eyebrow before I grit my teeth. F*cking Valen, it had to be him. This cop didn¡¯t even look like he knew why he was pulling us over and it was evident he was looking for any reason to target us. ¡°They¡¯re brand new, ¡° Zoe argues. The officer shrugs and starts writing her a defect notice when Macey suddenly pulls up behind us. ¡°Friend of yours?¡° he asks, and I look over the back seat to see her getting out of her car. ¡°Is everything alright, officer?¡° Macey asks,ing over and stopping beside him, he doesn¡¯t even nce at her just continues jotting down on his notepad. ¡°Yes, your friend here has bald tires, ¡° ¡°Bald tires?¡° Macey asks, looking at the wheels which were clearly not bald. ¡°Yep, I am giving her a defect notice; she shall have fourteen days to fix the issue, or I will pull her car from the road.¡° He exins. ¡°This is bullshit, ¡° Zoe mutters. ¡°Pardon, ma¡¯am,¡° the officer asks with a coy smile on his lips. ¡°Nothing, sir,¡° She sneers looking back out the windscreen, her knuckles turn white as she grips the steering wheel and I see a bead of sweat run down the back of her neck. The officer chuckles before handing her the paper. ¡°I¡¯ll be seeing youter, ¡± He states. ¡°Hopefully not,¡± Macey says and heughs wandering back to his car. ¡°Are you alright? You totally freaked when he tapped on your window,¡° I tell Zoe, and Macey stops next to her window. Watching the officer walk back to his car. ¡°Zoe?¡° Macey asks when she doesn¡¯t answer me. Macey looks at her, concerned. ¡°That¡¯s Micah¡¯s father,¡° Zoe admits, and I look back at the man as he pulls away and back into the traffic. ¡°His father is a cop? Does he know about Casey?¡° ¡°No, of course not,¡° Zoe says. ¡°I thought when he pulled me over¡­ I don¡¯t know. I thought maybe he found out about Casey and would demand and take her from me, ¡° Zoe breathes. ¡°No one is taking our kids from us,¡° I reassure her, and she grips the steering wheel tighter. I rub her back and she takes some deep breaths. ¡°Come on, we should get the kids, ¡° I tell her, and Macey reaches in, giving her hand a squeeze before going back to her car. Macey left first, and we were nearly at the school when she, too, got pulled over by the same officer. ¡±That prick, ¡± I growl, watching Macey pull over to the curb out front of the school. Other parents staring at her and the officer when he gets out of his car. ¡±What he get you for?¡± I ask. We pulled up a few cars down from her; Macey stood on the sidewalk arms folded across her chest. ¡±Apparently, my headlight is broken because I use them of a day, and me turning it on was a fluke, ¡± Macey states, ring at the officer, who appeared to be having way too much fun. The bells sounds and the kids rush out, Macey ncing at the kids rushing out suddenly touches the officer pulling his attention away from the kids rushing out. Zoe quickly rushes over, shielding Casey with her body and keeping her out of sight of the officer. Zoe forced her in the car and strapped her in quickly while Casey stared at her mother , clearly wondering why she was in such a rush. The kids coining out, all eye the officer and murmur that he has a gun. The other Rogue parents rush off quickly, thinking he will start booking everyone. I shake my head holding my hand out for Vrian and helping him into the car. ¡±Want us to take Taylor?¡± I ask her, and Macey shakes her head. ¡±No, go ahead. I need to drop her at mum¡¯s anyway, ¡± Macey calls out making sure to cut off any view of us behind her as she leaned on her car. Once we are in and pulling away. I see Macey opening the back door and buckling Taylor into her booster seat. We drove off and Zoe lets out a breath of relief that was short-lived, we were about to pull in the Hotel¡¯s driveway when we heard sirens ring and the cop caring up behind us at high speeds. ¡°For f*ck sake, not again, ¡° Zoe says before her eyes dart to Casey in the back of the car. ¡°Swear jar,¡° Casey calls out. ¡°Casey, duck down in your seat for me, ¡° Zoe tells her, and her little brows push together, Valerian watching with his ever-watchful gaze as he nces between the officer and Casey ducking down in her seat. Zoe mutters under her breath, and the officer gets out, and so does Zoe who meets him at the back of her car, trying to keep him from spotting Casey. The officer looks in the rear window just as Casey looks up, and he turns to Zoe before ducking down quickly to look back at Casey. That¡¯s all it takes, one nce and you could sense your family, rtives, or mates unless incapacitated by drugs or alcohol. ¡°That¡¯s my son¡¯s¡­. kid?¡° He snarls, pressing his hands against the ss and looking in while Zoe tried to stop him. ¡°Why do you have her, how..I don¡¯t understand. Open this door now, ¡° He bellows I got out of the car, and Zoe was pulling on the officer¡¯s arm as he tried to make his way to Casey¡¯s side of the vehicle. ¡°I will arrest you for kidnapping, ¡° He snarls at Zoe. ¡°Get away from her, you aren¡¯t taking her,¡° Zoe says trying to shove him. ¡°Just try and stop me, move, ¡° I stand in front of Casey¡¯s door, and he grips the handle before pushing me out of his way. Casey starts crying when I stumble catching myself before I fall. Chapter 31 Chapter 31 I look in the window to see Casey climbing out of her seat and moving closer to Vrian, who wraps his arms around her. ¡°Move,dy, I need to double-check something, ¡° He snaps at Zoe, who tosses herself in front of the door blocking him from opening it. Zoe shoves him, and I gasp. ¡°Get the f*ck away from my daughter, ¡° She growls in warning, her eyes turning obsidian, and her canines and ws slip out. The officer growls at her, but she doesn¡¯t budge. He goes to grab her, but she shes his arm with her ws, and he lunges at her while fumbling for his handcuffs. He tries to snap them on her wrist when his gun falls from his holster. The officer tosses her against the side of her car, trying to restrain her. Zoe struggles, and I try to grab him to make him let her go. Zoe was wild and crazed as sheshed out, her need to protect her daughter kicked in. This was my fear, someone taking Vrian. The officer backhands me, tossing me off, and I hit the ground. He looks at me briefly and curses. I feel blood trickle down my lip. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that, f*ck, he will bloody kill me. ¡° He says while trying to restrain Zoe. Both kids screaming as they watched when I heard a car skid to a stop. Looking at it, I see Macey jump out of her car in a fury before she grips the officer¡¯s shirt ripping him off Zoe, and he stumbles back, shocked. Macey gets between them as I scramble to get to my feet. ¡°There are kids present officer. Do you really want to scare your granddaughter?¡° She snaps at him, and he halts his advance toward her. ¡°So she is?¡° The officer asks, looking in the back window. ¡°Please, please, ¡° Zoe begs, dropping to her knees and falling apart in her desperation. ¡°Answer me,¡° the officer roars at Zoe and takes a step toward her but Macey growls taking a step toward him too, her ws slipping out. ¡°Yes, yes, she is Micah¡¯s, ¡° Zoe says, looking at him pleadingly. The officer looks between Macey and Zoe before barging past Macey to get to the car. The officer steps forward, and Zoe tries to stop him, but he flings the rear door open and leans in. He reaches for Casey, but she flinches away from him before sniffing the air. ¡°Come here sweetheart, Poppy won¡¯t hurt you, ¡° the officer says, holding out his hands to her. Casey looks at her mother, and Zoe¡¯s shoulders sag, her face streaked with tears and running mascara. ¡°I swear you try and take her. I will do everything in my power to stop you, spend every cent we have to fight you for custody if you try to take her from Zoe¡° I threaten him. The officer looks at me, pulling Casey from the car. I grip his arm as he removes Casey from the car. ¡° You take her I will ring my mate, I will ring the blood Alpha,¡° I growl only low enough for him to hear. He stops ncing at me. I didn¡¯t want to use his name but it had the right effect, as he instantly paused. ¡°You¡­ you won¡¯t tell him¡­ I didn¡¯t mean to make you, ¡° He nces at my split lip. ¡°That depends, give her daughter back, ¡° I tell him and Zoe jumps to her feet and reaches for her. However, the officer turns his back on her and sits Casey on the hood of her car. ¡°Does Micah know about her? ¡° he asks, looking at Zoe. ¡°Yes, he knows, ¡° Zoe tells him and the Officer growls but turns back to Casey brushing her hair from her face. ¡°What¡¯s your name, princess?¡° He asks her. ¡°Casey, ¡° she whispers shyly wiping her eyes before ncing at her mother. She reaches for Zoe, and the officer looks at her. ¡°He never told us. He and his mate are having trouble conceiving, ¡° The officer states. ¡°That is not my issue, or Casey¡¯s. Ana doesn¡¯t need to know about her,¡° Zoe tells him. The man nods, looking at Casey and smiling sadly. ¡° Can I bring my wife Olena to meet her?¡° he asks. ¡°Are you going to tell Ana that Micah has a daughter?¡° Zoe asks. ¡°No, but I will be saying something to my son. Does he help with her?¡° he asks. ¡°He pays child support, ¡° Zoe says, cing Casey back in the car. She buckles her in, and the officer looks over her shoulder, his eyes going to Vrian for a second. ¡°He¡¯s mine,¡° I tell the officer when I see him looking at Vrian curiously. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. ¡°Does Valen know?¡± He suddenly asks, and I swallow. Valerian looks at me questionably. ¡°No, he doesn¡¯t,¡° ¡°He has his eyes, the resemnce is uncanny, ¡° The officer remarks, and I look away. ¡°I will let your wife meet Casey but only if you don¡¯t say anything to Alpha Valen about Vrian, let Everly tell him when she is ready,¡° Zoe says quickly. The officer thinks for a second, looking in at Casey and waving to her. ¡°You will tell him? I know his father has been putting pressure on him to marry and give him an heir, even lined up and arranged marriage with Alpha John¡¯s daughter Ava,¡° The Officer shakes his head. ¡°What?¡° I ask. The officer shrugs. ¡°That¡¯s the rumor going around the City, Valen said no, but if he doesn¡¯t show he has an heir soon, his father will cause trouble. You are best off telling him before his father finds out about your son. I won¡¯t take Casey from her mother, but Kalen will take your boy if he finds out about him, especially if he finds out you¡¯re a rogue before Valen marks you, reputation is everything to Kalen,¡° the officer states. And didn¡¯t I know it, Alpha Kalen ruined his own mate all because she was an Omega. ¡°He isn¡¯t Valen¡¯s, ¡° I quickly state. It was clear the officer knew I was Valen¡¯s mate, but I could deny Vrian being his son. The officer snorts andughs while shaking his head. ¡°The eyes are a dead giveaway, also his little Alpha aura, I can already feel it, so I bet you can too. He is definitely an Alpha in the making, no need to lie to me, Alpha Valen told me you were his mate. But he never mentioned a son, his resemnce and aura will give the boy away to anyone paying close enough attention to him, Everly. I suggest you tell Valen soon, I would hate for you to lose your son,¡° The officer says closing the rear door. I could see the questions burning through Vrian gaze as he listened. ¡°You have a week, after that, I will have no choice but to tell him, I am sorry. Also, I kind of need to give you a ticket again for something. Valen will ask questions if he doesn¡¯t see multiple tickets. Valen told me to harass you and your friends, don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t lodge them but need it for appearance¡¯s sake unless you try and stop me seeing my granddaughter, my wife will be so excited, ¡± he gushes, beaming happily at Casey who waves to him. ¡°You can see her, but Ana must not know, ¡± Zoe says. ¡± Never liked her much, snobby piece of work that woman is. Can I bring my wife by over the weekend, youdies work at the Hotel Mountainview?¡± ¡°We own it,¡± I tell him and his mouth opens in disbelief. ¡°But you¡¯re Rogues, ¡° ¡°And that doesn¡¯t make us any less capable,¡± I tell him. ¡°I guess not,¡± The officer says looking at us all in shock. Yet I now worried too many people knew my secret, and it was bing inevitable. I knew it was only a matter of time before Valen found out, one thing this City is good at is the gossip mill. No secret stays buried forever and I could see this was one of those secrets that would eventuallye out. The officer picks up his gun and puts it back in his holster before ncing at me. ¡°You won¡¯t tell your mate about?¡± He points to his lip. ¡°It can stay between us, as long as you stick to your word and don¡¯t try to take Casey, everyone knows not to cross the Blood Alpha, I have a feeling he wouldn¡¯t take too kindly to anyone that hurt his mate.¡± He nods ncing at the car. ¡°I will see you on the weekend, Zoe,¡± The officer says to her giving her a nod. Zoe nods before climbing back in her car. Chapter 32 Chapter 32 Everly POV I had been trying to avoid the conversation all night, but Vrian followed me around the Hotel like a bad smell, and as we went to the apartment, I had no choice but to face the pint-sized Alpha. I never thought I would fear my son, but his aura was in full force. All afternoon people had been ncing at him as he followed me around the Hotel while I worked. I could see their curiosity, and this afternoon there was no way I could deny what he was, that he was an Alpha child. Even Zoe had been wary around him, and as soon as we finished for the day, she practically bolted to bathe Casey, leaving me with my fuming son. Vrian ms the door as he walks in after me, the bang is loud, and he never acted out this way, but at least he held his tongue while I worked because I could tell he was angry. I stepped out of my shoes, and I could feel his gaze watching me, wanting answers I wasn¡¯t sure I could give him but also knew I couldn¡¯t avoid for much longer. The officer had said too much in front of him. ¡°You lied to me,¡± Valerian states as I flick the kettle on. I grab two mugs down from the cupboard, intending to make him hot chocte, but he smacks my hands as I go to set the mugs on the counter, the ss shattering on the ground at my feet. I press my lips together at his acting out. I know he is mad, but there was no need for that. ¡°Enough, ¡± I snap at him, and he res at me. ¡°You lied,¡± he says before growling and startling me. ¡°I did not lie; I just didn¡¯t tell you the whole truth, ¡° ¡°You said my father wasn¡¯t your mate. You said he didn¡¯t live in this city,¡± ¡± I never said that; you just assumed he didn¡¯t live here, and I simply let you believe you were correct, ¡° ¡°I hate you,¡± Vrian snarls at me, tears burning his eyes, and guilt runs through me. His words twisted my stomach painfully. ¡°Vrian, you don¡¯t understand. It isn¡¯t safe for you to know him,¡± ¡°Why? I hate that everyone says you are a rogue- whore. That everyone treats us differently. I see the way people look at you because we aren¡¯t part of a pack because you don¡¯t have a mate,¡± Valerian says. ¡°We don¡¯t need him, I don¡¯t need him, we do fine on our own, ¡± I try to tell him while reaching for him. ¡°You may not want him as a mate, but I want my dad. I don¡¯t want to be the rogue-whores son, I don¡¯t want to be treated the way everyone treats you, I want my dad,¡± Vrian cries. Pain radiates through my chest at his words, the rogue -whores-son. He hated how people saw me, saw him, and that realization hurt more than anything else he had said. It was one thing for an adult to be embarrassed but for him to be embarrassed for what I am called. For the first time in a long time, I was ashamed of the title bestowed on me. I rub a hand down my face trying to find a way to exin. ¡°Well, you can¡¯t have him, he¡± ¡°Does he know about me?¡± Valerian cuts me off, and I look at him. His bottom lip quivers, and a tear escapes and rolls down his cheek, I reach for him again, but he steps away from me. ¡°Does my dad know I exist?¡± he asks again. ¡°As I said, Vrian, it isn¡¯t safe, ¡° ¡± For you or for me? ¡± he demands. This boy was so much more intelligent than I gave him credit for, more observant than I gave him credit for. He was far too advanced than he should be for a child of his age. ¡°He doesn¡¯t, does he? Was everything you said a lie? What about your family?¡± I sigh. ¡°My family tossed me away when they found out I was pregnant with you; they threw me away because I was rogue-whore, ¡° ¡°But the officer, he said this Valen was your mate, that I looked like him,¡± Of all the times Valen could mess with me, why did it have to be when my son was present to witness? ¡°Alpha Valen is your father. He is also my mate,¡± I admit to him. ¡°Then why isn¡¯t it safe? He has a pack. We could be a real family.¡± ¡°We are real family Vrian; we don¡¯t need him to be a real family. We have Zoe and Macey and everyone here, ¡± I exin. ¡°It¡¯s not the same, ¡± ¡°It is,¡± ¡°It¡¯s not!¡± he screams at me. ¡± Sometimes family isn¡¯t what you expect it to be, Valerian. My family doesn¡¯t want me. You have people here that are family to us. They want us,¡± ¡°And my father? Would he want me if he knew about me? Does he want you?¡± I drop my head, and my shoulders sag. ¡°It¡¯s not safe, ¡° ¡°Why?¡± Valerian screams, his face turning red. ¡°Because he will take you from me! ¡± I yell back at him when Zoees out. ¡°Everly?¡± Zoe asks before pointing at the door. I hadn¡¯t realized how angry I had be, and Vrian looked at me for the first time with fear in his eyes. Startled by his fearful expression, I look down to see my ws had slipped out. Zoe tugs Vrian away from me, and he lets herfort him, something I should be doing and not her. ¡°Go! Run it off, Everly, ¡± Zoe says, and Vrian rushes off to his room. ¡°Vrian! ¡± I call after him, but Zoe grips both my arms. ¡°Go, calm down. You can talk to Vrian tomorrow when everyone is more levelheaded,¡± Valen POV This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. Officer Richards rang just as I was getting ready to sit down for dinner. The phone rang on the table beside me, and I smiled while wondering how long Everly would take before she would ring and abuse me about harassing her friends or if she would even bother at all. ¡°Richards, ¡± I answered. ¡°Alpha, I did what you asked, but no more, I can¡¯t do it tomorrow, ¡° ¡°And why is that?¡± ¡°Well, for one, she threatened me with you for starters, and secondly, I don¡¯t want to ruin my chances with Zoe,¡± ¡°What do you mean to ruin your chances with Zoe?¡± ¡°I um, turns out my son has a daughter, she agreed to let me bring Olena to meet her,¡± ¡°Wait, Micha has a daughter?¡± ¡°Yes, Zoe¡¯s child is my granddaughter; I met her today when I pulled her over,¡± I sigh, no doubt Micha had some exining to do, and he wanna do the right thing by Zoe and her kid. ¡°That¡¯s fine, Richard. You have done enough, ¡± I tell him. ¡°Thank you Alpha, I can send you the tickets if you like?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. I trust you,¡± I tell officer Richard¡¯s before hanging up. Well, that was short -lived. I had barely ced my phone down when it rang in my hand again. My father¡¯s face popping up on the screen, and I groan. Marcus was quietly stewing over his car and sitting across from me when I handed him the phone. He nces at it and grits his teeth before rolling his eyes and answering it. ¡°Alpha Kalen,¡± he answers in a bored tone. I hear my father ask where I am before Marcus answers. ¡°He is taking a shit, ate something, and been running back and forth from the toilet all night, ¡± I grit my teeth and re at him from across the table, and he smiles. ¡°Yep, has a severe case of runny bum, crapped his pants in the elevator too, shit explosion, ¡± my fists clench, and Marcus smirks at me, knowing if I speak, he would have to put me on the phone. ¡°I will be sure to tell him, night Alpha, ¡± Marcus hangs up the phone, and I growl at him. ¡°Was that f*cking necessary?¡± I snap at him. ¡°Answer your own damn phone then,¡± he retorts. Oh, and your father rmends gastro stop, apparently you can get it from a chemist, ¡± he taunts. ¡°What did he want?¡± ¡°He wanted to know if you made your mind up about Ava, ¡± Marcus shrugs before cutting into his steak. I was not marrying that woman, I wanted nothing to do with Alpha John, and the fact my father meddled still ticked me off. Me rejecting her would undoubtedly cause a war between packs, but I refuse to marry that girl. ¡°Richards?¡± He asks. I shrug. ¡°He said he won¡¯t help anymore,¡± ¡°So that¡¯s it, she gets away with wrecking my car? ¡° ¡°She didn¡¯t wreck your car. Besides, I am nning on heading over there tomorrow; you cane if you want?¡± I smile, and his eyes light up. Marcus had been begging me to take him there all day so he could give her a piece of his mind. ¡°About time, I get to meet this woman that has you swooning and begging at her feet, ¡± I roll my eyes at his dramatics. ¡°I want to meet the woman who trashed my car and thinks she can get away with it,¡± he adds. ¡°Oh, she can get away with it because she is my mate, ¡°If you expect me not to say something to her, you are sadly mistaken; she crossed the wrong Beta, ¡° ¡°You do realize you are her Beta too, right?¡± ¡°Only once you mark her,¡± ¡°Be nice, ¡± I tell him, digging into my dinner, and I couldn¡¯t help the excitement bubble up within me, knowing I would be going to see her tomorrow. ¡°What do you n on doing about your father?¡± Marcus asks me, and I don¡¯t think I have another choice but to tell him now. It would be best we sorted this feud out before it became an all-out war. ¡°Maybe tell him you found your mate,¡± Marcus offers, and I nod. ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t think I have a choice now, ¡± I tell him honestly, and he hums in agreement. ¡°All I know is I can¡¯t wait to meet her. If she has you this worked up, I bet she is a real crazy one in person, ¡± heughs. I re at him, and he shrugs. ¡°Well, she must be crazy. Who rejects an Alpha, especially a rogue woman?¡± He says. ¡°Any luck on herst name?¡± I ask him. ¡°Nope, not really. I did find a Summers, however, but it was a maiden name, ¡° ¡°Are you going to leave me in suspense or tell me, maybe that¡¯s how she became rogue, maybe she divorced someone, ¡° ¡°Doubtful, and I doubt there is any rtion because I could not see the Alpha shunning a family member, ¡° ¡°There is no Alpha¡¯s with thest name Summers, ¡± I tell him. ¡°No, not an Alpha but a Luna; Summer¡¯s is the maiden name of Alpha John¡¯s Wife. ire Summers, ¡± Marcus tells me. I sigh another dead end. However, something bothered me. Something Ava had said to her father before he cut her off, it has to be a coincidence. If Alpha John had another child, we would know about her by now, just look at Ava; she was already a handful for him, and if he had another child. Indeed, he wouldn¡¯t be allowing the wayward one to be his sessor if that were the case. Chapter 33 Chapter 33 Everly POV I came home to Valerian sitting at the dining room table trying to use myptop; my mood was better now I had gone for a run, but I was exhausted as I untied myces and slipped my shoes off. The run really zapped my energy, and I had to take the long way around because someone had fixed the hole in the fence; tomorrow, I would have to send someone to open it up again or maybe install a gate, which would be ideal because we can lock it off a night. Zoe was watching TV with the volume low and barely audible. She smiles at me and gives me a nod, turning back to the TV and pretending to be watching it when I know she was really just keeping an eye on Vrian. Valerian looked up at me, and his cheek was rested on his little hand as he tried to use theptop. Walking over to him, I run my fingers through his hair before bending down and kissing his forehead before kneeling next to him and looking at the screen. ¡°What are you trying to do?¡± I ask him before standing and dragging the chair out beside him. He lets out a breath before looking at me. ¡°What are trying to do?¡± I ask him before standing and dragging the chair out beside him. He lets out a breath before looking at me. ¡°I wanna know who my dad is, why he left us. But I don¡¯t know hisst name, and Aunty Zo said to wait for you?¡± He says . I could tell he had been crying, his eyes were all puffy and red, and he sniffled before plucking a tissue and red, and he sniffled before plucking a tissue from the tissue box and blowing his nose. He folds up his tissue into a perfectly neat square before cing it in the bin and washing his hands. I turn theptop toward me before typing Alpha Valen Sce. Images and news articles pop up, and Valerian takes his seat next to me and looks at the screen before looking over at me, and I gesture toward theptop. ¡°That¡¯s your father,¡± I tell him, and he turns back to look at the screen. ¡°We have the same eyes, ¡± he says, looking at me. His amber eyes peered up at me, and hisshes were wet from crying. I nod sadly at him. ¡°Yes, you have his eyes; it¡¯s a gic trait on the male¡¯s side,¡± I tell him, and he nces back at the pictures of his father on the screen. Valerian ¡°When I fell pregnant with you, I didn¡¯t know your father was mate, we met at an Alpha meeting, and we were both drinking, and that is when I fell pregnant,¡± ¡± So you kissed, and I was created?¡± I chuckle at his words, and so does Zoe behind me. ¡°Yep, that pretty much sums it up,¡± I tell him. ¡°So if you didn¡¯t know he was your mate, how did we end up Rogue?¡± ¡°Because my father kicked me out because he thought I was a rogue whore, and I refused to terminate the pregnancy, I chose to keep you,¡± I tell him honestly. ¡°So I am the reason you are a rogue?¡± ¡± No, I am. Me being a rogue is not your fault, and I would choose you every time. If I could go back, I would still choose you, your my life, ¡± he seems to think, and I cup his cheek brushing my thumb over his cheek. ¡°Why were you at an Alpha meeting?¡± ¡°Because I used to be an Alpha, I was next in line to take over my father¡¯s pack, ¡± His little brows scrunch together. ¡°So, did you only just find out my dad was your mate?¡± I sigh before rubbing my eyes and shaking my head. ¡°I have known for a while. When I first found out I was pregnant, I tried to tell your father, and he didn¡¯t believe me; I then saw him a couple of yearster, but your dad was drunk, he didn¡¯t recognize me, and I think he thought I broke into his house, so he kicked me off his territory before I could tell him about you, ¡± I tell him. ¡°So you never had a chance to tell him, how long ago?¡± ¡°Nearly four years ago now,¡± ¡°So you have known all that time, but I heard aunty Macey say that grandma Val died from not being with her mate, that not having your mate can kill you, ¡° I bite my lip.¡± you shouldn¡¯t listen to adult conversations,¡± ¡± But is it true, did she die because her mate didn¡¯t want her?¡± I nod sadly, looking away. ¡°But it won¡¯t happen to me; I have you to live for, I won¡¯t die, Vrian. I have too much to live for, you being the biggest, ¡± I tell him, and he nods, looking at the screen. He clicks on some photos, making themrger so he could see his father¡¯s features better and the pictures are clearer. ¡°Am I like him?¡± ¡°You are so much better than he will ever be?¡± ¡°So he is a bad man?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so, well I don¡¯t think it is intentional, I think he is just perceived that way, kind of like how I am perceived to have done something wrong, ¡° ¡°I have seen him on the news fighting, and I saw him in the papers. I thought something was off about him; I always felt funny when I saw his picture, but I didn¡¯t realize he was my dad,¡± Vrian says. ¡°We recognize our own family. It¡¯s inbuilt in us to recognize family, ¡° ¡°So he would know I was his son just by seeing me? ¡° ¡°Yes, and that¡¯s why I can¡¯t let you meet him,¡± I tell him. ¡± Because he will take me from you? ¡± he asks, and I nod. Vrian seems to think for a second, and he stares at the screen, scrutinizing the picture of his father out front of the hotel he owned. ¡°I can print his picture off for you if you want?¡± He looks over at me and smiles sadly. ¡°That¡¯s ok; I think I will go to bed now, ¡± he says, getting up and taking theptop with him. He kisses my cheek before looking at Zoe, who was on the couch. ¡°Night, aunty Zo,¡± ¡°Goodnight, sweetie, ¡± she replies, and I watch him leave. ¡°I¡¯m sorry he asked for theptop, ¡ª ¡° ¡°It¡¯s fine, Zoe. I should have just told him,¡± I tell her. It was the middle of the day, Valerian was at school, and we were in the middle of the lunch rush when the entire restaurant fell silent. ncing up from the front counter, I internally groan when Alpha Valen walks into the restaurant. A smirk on his lips as he approached me. Zoe noticing him rolls her eyes beforeing over to me. ¡°I will go check the meat delivery arrives; seeing as the Alpha knob is here, we don¡¯t need any more unexpected disturbances or missing truck interferences,¡± She says, ring at him before walking away. Valen approached the counter, and I could feel everyone watching us curiously when he leaned on the counter. ¡°Heard you had an eventful day yesterday with Officer Richards?¡± He chuckles. ¡°Yes, thanks to you, and you can pay for Zoe and Macey¡¯s fines, ¡± I snap at him. ¡°I¡¯m sure if you go down to the office and exin I am your mate, the fines will be dropped, ¡± He says, and I roll my eyes at him. ¡°Of course, they will be,¡± I spit at him, and heughs. ¡°You already knew that, though, didn¡¯t you? Officer Richards told me something very interestingst night, ¡± He says, and my stomach drops. He said he wou1dn¡¯t tell Valen about Vrian, at least not yet. ¡°Seems I am your mate when it benefits you?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t happen to threaten Officer Richards by using my title, did you? ¡± He smiles, and I re at him before his words register because I had done that. Heat rushes over my face. ¡°Lapse in judgment, ¡± I tell him. ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t mind, but if you want to use my title, I would rather it be because we share it and not just you throwing it around when you want to get out of trouble, ¡° ¡°I ¡®m sorry I won¡¯t do it again, but I wasn¡¯t going to stand by and watch him take Casey from Zoe,¡± ¡°He wouldn¡¯t have; he is a good man,¡± I roll my eyes at him and turn away, only for him to grip my wrist and turn me back to face him. ¡°Don¡¯t walk away from me, Everly. Are you trying to upset me?¡± I didn¡¯t get a chance to answer when the restaurant door opened again. My stomach felt like it dropped onto the floor as Beta Marcus walked in. He had his head down and was stuffing a set of keys into his back pocket, but it was definitely him. ¡°Had to park in the parents with prams parking, no parking- ¡± His words abruptly cut off when he looked up and stared directly at me. Shock crosses his features, and his eyes go wide. He turned his head to the side, and I prayed he forgot me but his following words proved he remembered exactly who I was. Beta Marcus¡¯s face lights up, and a smile splits onto his face as he begins walking over to us. ¡°I knew I heard that name before, Everly it¡¯s me, you remember me, ah its been so long, I sometimes wondered what happened to you, I thought you left the City,¡± He says, rushing over and enveloping me in a hug. Alpha Valen seems startled and pulls away, observing us closely. ¡°You must be mistaken, ¡± I try to tell him, trying to get out his firm grip when he sets me on my feet and holds me at arm¡¯s length. ¡°No, I never forget a face, a name yes, but a face. You really don¡¯t remember me, the train station, you asked to borrow a lighter than I took you to the Packhouse,¡± I say nothing, trying to escape him and Valen, who was observing the scene ying out in front of him. ¡°We looked for you but couldn¡¯t find you. I even left a note with the security guards. Gosh, I can¡¯t believe it is really you,¡± Beta Marcus says. ¡°Wait, you two know each other?¡± Valen asks suddenly, and we look at him. I quickly shake my head. My heart was pounding in my chest, and I felt like I was about to pass out. ¡°Yes, she is the rogue girl, the one from the train station. Remember we went looking for her,¡± Marcus briefly exins before turning back to me. ¡± So, where did you go? Have you been here all this time, you work here? Oh, and your son. What was his name Valcon, Vo, gosh her son has the freakiest eyes, like yours. The only person I have seen with the same eyes other than your father, so where is he?¡± he asks, looking around utterly oblivious to my state of panic. ¡°Everly isn¡¯t a rogue-whore; she hasn¡¯t got a son, ¡± Valen says, and Marcus looks at him. Marcus groans, holding his hands out. ¡± How do you not remember? I bitched you out for days about her for tossing her and her kid out,¡± ¡°And what train station? I am lost what is going on here, ¡± Valen demands, looking between both of us, and Marcus sighs. ¡°Everly, the rogue girl you chucked out of the Packhouse, remember years ago? We went looking for her at the train station. We left her car seat with the train guards, remember?¡± Marcus says while I just wanted him to shut his mouth. We had the entire restaurant¡¯s attention, and Valen was staring a t me like it was the first time he had met me. ¡°You were at the packhouse?¡± Valen asks while shaking his head, and he seems confused before his head suddenly snaps up, and a look of anger crosses his features; his top lip pulls over his teeth as he snarls at me, and his eyes narrow. ¡°Wait, you have a son? You lied to me?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t lie,¡± ¡°You have a f*cking son,¡± He growls, and Marcus steps between us. ¡°Woah, Alpha, what¡¯s got into you?¡± ¡°She lied,¡± Valen snaps, pointing an using finger at me. ¡°My f*cking mate said she wasn¡¯t a rogue- whore; she f*cking lied,¡± ¡°Wait, this is the Everly you were speaking about, this girl right here she is, your mate? ¡± Marcus says while looking back at me. Bravo, idiot, you finally put it together. ¡°Yes, she is my mate,¡± ¡°Please keep your voices down, ¡± I hiss at them when I hear people start murmuring that Alpha Valen has found his mate. ¡°Is this some joke to you? Do you really have no morals, just like the rest of the Rogue whores?, you think I can just ept some illegitimate child, f*ck the press will have a field day with this scandal,¡± ¡°I never expected you to ept anything, now get out!¡± I spit at him, unable to take his insults. How dare he? He was just going to assume like the rest of them. He wasn¡¯t even going to let me exin just jumped straight onto the Rogue -whore bandwagon. ¡°I won¡¯t have a rogue-whore as a mate, ¡± he spits at me. ¡°Valen?¡± Marcus snaps at him. ¡°No, she f*cking lied to me,¡± ¡°I never lied to you. You were just too blinded to see the truth; you don¡¯t even remember me, now get out of my restaurant, ¡° I was drunk. How was I supposed to remember you from the Packhouse? I can barely remember that night at all,¡± He snarls. ¡°You think that¡¯s the first time we met? Got no other memories you want to sift through, Valen? I tried to tell you twice before that,¡± C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. ¡°What are you walking about?¡± ¡°I tried to tell you, and you tossed me away not once but twice, through me out in the f*cking rain; you are no better than your father. No better than mine,¡± I snap at him. ¡°Don¡¯t bring my father into this. What is wrong with you? You knew who I was all this f*cking time? All this time, you knew I was your mate?¡± ¡°Yes, I knew, and if you still can¡¯t figure it out, then go, leave. I won¡¯t have you upset my employees with your prejudices,¡± ¡°Oh, I am leaving, you are exactly like the rest of them, nothing but a whore, and to think I was willing to look past you being a lowly rogue, but I won¡¯t put up with you lying to me,¡± he screams before punching the counter. I jump at his aggression, and a few patrons duck down like they were waiting for him to explode. A few even hid under the tables when he suddenly turned on his heel and walked out, leaving me with Beta Marcus. ¡°I.. I didn¡¯t think¡­ F*ck, I am sorry, Everly. I will speak to him. I..¡± Marcus stumbles over his words, looking in the direction of where his Alpha just stalked off and out the door. ¡°It¡¯s fine, nothing I didn¡¯t already expect from a Sce Alpha, clearly the apple doesn¡¯t fall far from the tree, ¡± I tell him, turning and walking off to my office. Tears pricked my eyes, and I couldn¡¯t believe how terribly wrong that all just went. I was livid but also hurt. If I were a rogue¡ªwhore, Valen wouldn¡¯t ept me; the funny thing is even after everything he just learned. Valen never once asked who Vrian¡¯s father was, didn¡¯t seem to get it through his head that for years I have known who he was and lived through the torment of not having my mate, but all he could hear was Rogue-whore, blinded to everything else, blinded by his own perception and judgment. Escaping to my office, I lock the door and try to stop myself from breaking down when my mobile suddenly starts ringing in my pocket. I half expected it to be Valen ringing to yell at me more when I noticed it was the school¡¯s phone number. Answering it, I clear my throat and suck in a deep breath. ¡°Hello, ¡° ¡°Hi, this Patricia, Valerian¡¯s teacher. Is this Everly Summers?¡± ¡°Yes, Patricia, how can I help?¡± ¡°Ms. Summer¡¯s, I was ringing to let you know we have called the police and an Amber alert has been put out,¡± My heart beats faster, thumping in my head when the door handle jiggles before someone starts banging on the door, I open it, and Macey rushes in with a frantic look on her face. ¡°Ms. Summer¡¯s your son. He never returned to ss after the break; we have people out searching for him, but if you coulde down to the school, and- ¡± The phone drops from my hand as it shakes, my heart felt like it had stopped. Vrian was missing. Chapter 34 Chapter 34 Valen POV My entire world came crashing down violently around me. Everything I thought I knew about her was wrong, so very f*cking wrong. How didn¡¯t I see it? She was wrong for me, and for a few seconds, I thought I had found my mate, the mate that was supposed to be my other half turned out to be a liar. She lied straight to my face. I thought when I met her I could look past it if she were a rogue-whore but now faced with the truth, I realize how utterly idiotic that thought was. ¡°Valen, what the f*ck, bro!¡± Marcus says as I walk across the car park. I ignore him. ¡°Valen, you can¡¯t just leave, ¡° ¡°She lied to me,¡± I snarl at him while walking over to his car. I should have brought my own. ¡°Keys!¡± I snap at him, and he fishes them out of his jeans pocket and tosses them at me. ¡± So that¡¯s it? You aren¡¯t going to let her exin?¡± ¡®What¡¯s there to exin? She f*cked some man and had a kid, pretty straight forward Marcus, ¡± I growl while unlocking his car. I climb into the driver¡¯s seat and start the engine. ¡°You don¡¯t know that?¡± ¡°I do know that you said she had a kid, and she admitted it,¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean you know the circumstances, Valen; for all you know, she could have been raped. She could have had him run off on her,¡± ¡°What do you want me to do Marcus, either way, she has a kid and he isn¡¯t mine and my father will kill me if I bring a single mother home to be a god damn Luna, ¡° ¡°My mother was as a single mother, your father a single father. What the f*ck does that have to do with her ability to be Luna?¡± Marcus snarls at me. I rub my temples instantly realizing my mistake. ¡°F*ck, I didn¡¯t mean it like that.¡± ¡± No, you meant she is rogue -whore, I thought you were better than prejudice bullshit, so what if she is? She is your mate, ¡° ¡°Just let me think, I have two weeks until the damn Alpha meeting and no mate to present, just F*ck! ¡± I scream, flooring it down the main road, the tires screeching on the road as I take off. ¡°You can be a real jackass, you know that,¡± I chuckle, don¡¯t I know it, but either way, it changes nothing. I will be eaten alive by the vulture press if this shit gets out. Marcus fiddles with the radio, my mind racing while he continues to ramble about what an idiot I am being and yadda, yadda. I was too distracted that I didn¡¯t see the light turn red up ahead until Marcus¡¯s hand mmed against my chest, shoving me back in my seat. ¡°Valen! ¡± He screams, snapping me out of my head. I hit the brakes swerving around the corner, the car fishtailing up the side street before stopping and my heart leaped out of my throat as I white -knuckled the steering wheel. ¡± F*ck, that was close, ¡± Marcus says, clutching his head as he looked out the back window, the front tires on the curb, and we had narrowly missed those seated out the front of the cafe. People had their phones out, taking pictures, and I knew instantly what the headlines would read. Alpha Valen drink driving or Alpha Valen putting the public at risk with his stupid stunts, or something along those lines. I hang my head. ¡°F*cking breathe, it isn¡¯t the end of the world, ¡± Marcus snaps at me. ¡°It might as well be,¡± I tell him. ¡°Why is it, you get a mate and kid in the same day,¡± ¡°Only you would think like that,¡± I scoff before chuckling and shaking my head. ¡°Just drive. We will already be over the front page tomorrow, lets get out of here, ¡± Marcus says, pping my chest. ¡°And you better not have buckled my rim,¡± He adds, and I roll my eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll buy you new ones, ¡° ¡°Na don¡¯t worry about, you already did for your mate trashing my car, theye next week, ¡° ¡°What?¡± ¡± Don¡¯t leave your credit cards around, besides not like you can¡¯t afford it, I took my bonus early, ¡± He says. ¡°Do I even want to know how much?¡± ¡°Nope, but thanks, bro, ¡± Iugh, starting his car up but this time slowly pulling away from the shing cameras and the murmuring crowd that had built up around us. ¡°What this shit?¡± I ask, flicking through the stations when something catches my attention. ¡®Amber alert, a rogue male child wearing a blue school uniform and primary doves hat has gone missing,¡¯ The radio host states, and I look at Marcus. ¡°Well, maybe you won¡¯t be sshed over the papers tomorrow if they don¡¯t find that kid,¡± Marcus murmurs, listening to the description. C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. ¡°Amber eyes?¡± Marcus mutters, and I jam the breaks on just as Marcus¡¯s eyes go wide. ¡°Everly¡¯s kid?¡± he asks. ¡°No, must be coincidence, ¡± I tell him. ¡°How many kids do you know that have amber eyes, ¡± ¡°Well, none, you said he had amber eyes, not me,¡± ¡°Probably right. We should head back. We have that meeting in twenty minutes anyway, ¡° Yeah,¡± I sigh, havingpletely forgotten about the meeting. ¡°You calm yet,¡± I clench the steering wheel and nod once. ¡°Yep, same shit show, I am just the idiot shoveling the shit, something I am used to,¡± ¡°That a boy, after the meetings, we can head back to your apartment and get drunk. How does that sound? ¡± Marcus says. ¡°Na, I think I will stay in tonight, ¡° ¡°Great, that means you can be designated driver and watch me get drunk,¡± Marcus says, and I roll my eyes. ¡°Or you can sit at mine and, I will watch you get drunk while I figure out how to get out of this arranged marriage, ¡± I tell him. ¡°Sounds good as long as I am getting drunk; I need a drink after all your dramas today, ¡± Marcus laughs. We were nearly back at my Hotel when my phone starts buzzing and I groan when I see my father¡¯s face and number pop up on the screen. I quickly answer it putting it on the loudspeaker so I can continue driving. ¡°Yes Dad, ¡° I say in a bored tone. ¡°Where are you, you arete?¡° ¡°Pulling up in the car park now, ¡° I lie, I was still ten minutes out. ¡°Good, good, so what did you want to tell me about the Alpha meeting, I got your message earlier but forgot to reply, some announcement, is this you agreeing to the marriage?¡° My father asks and I completely forgot I was going to tell him today about finding my mate. I hesitate for a second trying to think, maybe we can keep her son a secret, send him to boarding school for a year or so. Shit could I even ask that of her? I could just mark her and be done with it, nothing he could do then. Marcus eyes me, waiting to see what I say. ¡°Ah, yeah, we can talk about the details tomorrow; I will be too busy after the meeting,¡± I lie trying to buy more time to think of something. ¡°So, you are agreeing to marrying and marking, Ava?¡± ¡°No, dad, but I think I have a solution to our little issue,¡± ¡°Valen, this is the solution, you need a mate and this is a good idea, it will calm the packs,¡± ¡°I said we will talk about itter, I will see you soon,¡± I tell him before hanging up on him. ¡°Now what?¡± Marcus asks. ¡°Now I need to find a way to get Everly to send her kid away for a bit so my father doesn¡¯t find out about him and convince her to let me mark her, ¡± Marcusughs. ¡°Yeah right as if that is going to happen, ¡± I shake my head, I had no options; either the kid disappears for a bit or I forcefully mark and order him away. Chapter 35 Chapter 35 Valerian POV A few hours earlier. ¡°Vrian, are you dressed yet?¡± Mum yells out to me. I grab the piece of paper with my dad¡¯s address on it and a small list I made of his description. Mum said I should recognize him, and the funny feeling I get in my tummy should tell me he is my dad. ¡°Coming, mum, ¡± I call back to her while unfolding the paper again because the corners didn¡¯t match. Why doesn¡¯t it match? I refold it. Casey walks into the room, and I hate how she taps on my door. Two taps, it should be three, odd numbers, odd numbers. I try to refold the paper, but her knock irritates me making me stuff the corners up again. ¡°Vrian, we are gonna bete,¡± mum calls again. ¡°Casey, knock, ¡± I snap, not meaning to. Casey was my best friend. ¡°I forgot, you are so weird, Vally, ¡± Caseyughs but knocks on the door again, and I let out a breath. I know the other kids think I am weird, they all do but I don¡¯t mind when Casey says it, she doesn¡¯t mean it in a mean way. ¡± Did you get it?¡± I whisper to Casey and she kneels pulling her bag off her shoulder and pulling out torn pieces of paper. ¡°I tore them out,¡± she says excitedly before stuffing them back in her bag when we hear footsteps. ¡°Vrian,e on,e on,¡± Mum says ushering us out of the bedroom, Casey giggles at our little secret. Today I find my dad. Mum is getting sick, I know she hides it, but I see the puffiness under her eyes, how she is always too tired to y andtely she has been falling asleep when she reads to me, she never has time, time, time, never enough time to y with me anymore. Dad will have time for me, I know he will have time, or I hope he does, then maybe he can make mum not so tired no more. Maybe then she will y more , I miss when mum yed but now she gets tired too quickly and needs to rest. She thinks I don¡¯t notice but I notice everything about mum, she is the best mummy. I follow mum out of the house, trying not to think of the torn- up phone book pages. I wanted the maps, I wasn¡¯t sure how to read the maps, but it can¡¯t be that hard, like a pirates map, dad is the golden chest at the end, and I was going to find him and surprise mum. ¡°Vrian seatbelt, ¡± mum hisses; she was always in a hurry. I clip my belt in and Casey does hers, and then mum puts the car stick on the D, and the car moves and we are on our way to school. We stop out the front of my school. My teacher is waiting out the front, I don¡¯t like her, and she always smells funny, smells like burnt grass and cigarette smoke, and she talks too slow. Mum gets out of the car and opens my door before walking me to the gate. ¡°Aunty Macey is picking you and Casey up, I have roster meetings this afternoon, okay, but I should be home for dinner, ¡± mum tells me with a kiss on the cheek before she rushes back to the car, honking the horn as she leaves. I hated when she did that; the other kids stared. ¡°Come,e,¡± my teacher calls and tries to take my hand, but I don¡¯t let her. Her hands stunk bad like the rest of her, and she always looked like a poodle with her weird puffy hair and big round sses making her eyes too big for her thin face. Casey slides the scrunched-up phonebook pages to me on the seat at recess. I try to tten the pages out, looking for the street name that matches the one on the paper but I can¡¯t find it. ¡°Are you sure these are the right pages?¡± I ask Casey, and she shrugs. ¡°How am I supposed to know? You said get the maps, I got the maps, ¡± I huff, trying to think of another way to find my dad. Diego¡¯s and Dora¡¯s maps weren¡¯t this hard to follow, these ones have lots of lines and cross-sections, and none said the Alpha Valen¡¯s home. ¡°It is fine. Someone must know where my dad lives,¡± I tell Casey. ¡°Can Ie to find the pirate treasure, ¡° ¡°I am not finding pirate treasure. I am finding my dad,¡± I tell her pulling out the spare clothes I smuggled into my school bag. I pulled the jumper on over the top of my shirt and the jeans over my shorts. My shorts riding up and gave me a wedgie, and I didn¡¯t like the creases in my jeans. Mum usually gets those out with the hot steaming iron for me. I don¡¯t want creases. They make my pants uneven. ¡°Don¡¯t look, Vally, just don¡¯t look, and the lines will go away,¡± Casey tells me, and I nod, stuffing the maps in my bag and putting it over my shoulder. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. ¡°You be the lookout,¡± I tell her as we sneak to the front gate. They always left it open. Casey looks around the corner while eating her anchovy sandwich before giving me a thumbs up and I run out the gate before stuffing my bag in the dead hedges out the front. I nce back at the school, feeling sneaky that I got out of my school like a ninja. My feet hurt and my tummy rumbled. I had been walking forever, and it was getting cold, and the light was gone now. Mum would be worried. When I came across a man at the traffic lights I stopped. I didn¡¯t know if I was going in the right direction when I saw a man dressed in a suit, like thoseing to Mum¡¯s Hotel. He nces down at me, and I tug on his suit Jacket and he sighs loudly. ¡°What kid?¡± ¡°Do you know where this ce is?¡± I ask, showing him the piece of paper. He huffs and takes it from me andughs. ¡°Alpha Valens?¡± I nodded; he knew where it was. Where my dad is. ¡°Now, why would a rogue boy want to see him for?¡± ¡°I ¡®m not a rogue boy; I am an Alpha like my dad,¡± I tell him. ¡°Ha, and who is your dad?¡± ¡°Alpha Valen Sce, ¡± The manughs harder. ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Yep,¡± I tell him. ¡°Well, my Alpha doesn¡¯t have a kid, but I am sure he will think this is really funny,e on then, boy, maybe he will give you an autograph or let you get a picture with him, ¡± The man says, gripping my shirt and tugging me across the road. ¡°Really, you will take me to him?¡± ¡°Yep, I am going there anywhere. He lives in that big building in the penthouse apartment, ¡° ¡°Do you work for my dad?¡± Heughs. ¡°If you say so, kid,¡± he says, and we walk up the hill toward the big building with the bright lights. The door opens as we climb the stairs, and a man that looks like a butler with a funny hat on greets us at the doors. ¡°Who is that boy, Tatum?¡± The man in the funny hat asks. ¡°Some kid who thinks the Alpha is his dad,¡± ¡°Ha, they all think that, wonder which rogue-whore sent their kid up this time iming he fathered it,¡± Both menugh. ¡°My mum is not a rogue-whore. He is her mate, she told me,¡± ¡°Whatever you say, kid, they all im that too, bute on, let¡¯s get this over with, ¡± He says, leading me inside. The foyer is grander than our Hotels¡¯ it is all white and gold. The elevators are so clean I can see my reflection in them, and something smells yummy, making my belly rumble louder. I forgot to eat lunch, but it would be dinner time now. ¡°So what¡¯s your name anyway, ¡± The man asks. ¡°Vrian, sir,¡± ¡°Vrian? That¡¯s an odd name. Damn, you really could pass as his though, you have the same eyes, now I can see better in the light,¡± The man says, rubbing his chin and staring funny at me. ¡°And you have a big nose, now that I can see you better, it¡¯s bright in here, ¡° ¡°Ha, funny bugger you are, my Alpha is gonna like you,¡± The man presses buttons on the panel, and we go all the way to the top floor. ¡°What do you do here?¡± ¡°Security work, I kick out the bad guys,¡± He says. ¡°Do you have a gun?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need a gun; I got these, ¡± Heughs, showing me his hands when ws slip out of his fingers. ¡°Cool, like wolverine, I can¡¯t wait to be able to do that,¡± I tell him. Heughs ¡°one-day little man, one day you will, ¡± he says, and the elevator doors open up to a long corridor. He walks down it before knocking twice on the door. I grind my teeth before not being able to stop myself. I knock on it again. ¡°Three times, odd numbers, you need to do it with odd numbers, or it¡¯s bad luck,¡± He raises his bushy eyebrows at me. ¡°Whatever you say, ¡± Heughs when I hear footsteps on the other side of the door. The door jiggles, and excitement bubbles in my tummy; I was going to bring my dad home to be with us. The door opens, and I look up and see the man, but I don¡¯t get the weird tummy feeling, and he is not my dad. Did my mum lie again? ¡°Tatum, what brings you here, ¡± The man asks. ¡°Sorry, Beta, but this boy ims the Alpha is his dad, ¡± he says and the man notices me and looks down at me. He blinks at me. ¡°I know freaky aye, got the same eyes,¡± Tatum says. ¡°Do you know my dad?¡± I ask him, but he continues to stare at me when I hear more walking, and I try to nce around the man and I sniff the air. ¡°What is it?¡± I hear another man¡¯s voice, and the Beta man moves to the side, and I see him. The funny feeling in my tummy does big jumps, and I feel my heart racing, and the man stops, and his mouth opens and closes like a fish blowing bubbles. ¡°Dad!¡± I squeal, running to him. ¡°I found you, I found you, I knew I would find you,¡± I hugged his legs. He was so tall; I was happy I found my dad. Mum will be so happy too when I bring him home. Chapter 36 Chapter 36 Valen POV The moment Iid eyes on him, I knew he was mine when he suddenly squealed loudly and barrelled toward me on his little legs and crashed against me. I imagine the look on my face was of pure horror at first as the pint-sized creature clung to my legs. Tatum and Marcus just stared gobsmacked, and Marcus had his mouth wide open like he trying to catch flies. ¡°I found you, I found you, I knew I would find you,¡± The boy screams, bouncing on the balls of his feet. I pat his back, not knowing what to do with the kid. Yet touching him only made this scenario more real, I was kind of thinking my drink was spiked, and someone slipped me hard drugs, and for a second, I kind of hoped they had until I got a whiff of his scent. He was a Rogue, but his Alpha aura was strong, too strong for just me, indicating both his parents were Alpha born. Only another Alpha would scent the potency of his aura even as small as he is, but his scent was also familiar. ¡°So he is yours then?¡± Tatum asks, stepping into my apartment. I blink before staring down at him, his big amber eyes staring up at me. There was no doubt. he was mine. And I nod, apparently I have a son? But how, who wouldn¡¯t jump at the chance to have a kid t o an Alpha? What woman in the world would hide it, that¡¯s assurance for life having an Alpha¡¯s child, what woman doesn¡¯t want that? ¡°Who did you knock up?¡± Tatum asks while Marcus just rubbed his chin; he raises a finger in the air like he was about to say something then closed his mouth before opening and closing it. First time I had seen him lost for words. ¡°Everly¡­She has a?¡± he doesn¡¯t finish when I pick up the creature that apparently came from my family jewels. I press my nose into his neck, wondering if I smelt right. I near dropped him when I am smashed with her mouth -watering scent perfuming out from his pores along with mine. The boy giggles and tucks his chin as my stubble brushes his neck and face. ¡°Stop, it tickles, ¡± He laughs, and I couldn¡¯t help but smile at his adorable cackle before he reaches for my neck with his tiny hands, and I ce him on my hip, sniffing his head. ¡°Your mother is Everly Summers?¡± he nods. ¡°Yep, and I am Vrian Summers, ¡± That would be changing, I thought instantly. ¡°Mum will be so happy, now you can be with my mum, I can take you home to surprise her, and we can be a real family,¡± he says, smiling with all his teeth on disy. Somehow I did not see that happening, but it raised another question, how the hell did I get her pregnant when I hadn¡¯t slept with her. ¡°Vrian?¡± I murmur, making me wonder if he was named after me and what a resemnce to my mother¡¯s name, Vrie; she died when I was a baby. I liked the name but was shocked she would name him after me, yet how did she manage to keep him from me, and more importantly, how is he here without her? ¡°How old are you?¡± I ask him. ¡°Five,¡± He answers, holding up his hand fingers syed out, and I look at Marcus. ¡°How?¡± I ask him, and he shrugs. ¡°Well, I am sure you know-how, ¡± Marcus says, and I raise an eyebrow. Of course, I know-how. But I wanted know-how it was possible; it made no sense. ¡°He is Everly¡¯s, ¡± I repeat to him, and he nods. ¡± Get in and close the door, ¡± I snap at them both in case someonees up here looking for me. I definitely didn¡¯t want anyone overhearing how the mother of my child kept him a secret from me. ¡°I¡¯m hungry, dad. I haven¡¯t had lunch. It took all day to find you, ¡± Valerian says, and Marcus walks over to take him, but I tug away from him, not wanting to put my new son down. Instead, hugging him closer and smelling his scent, god we smell good together, I thought. ¡°I will make the food then, ¡± Marcus says, and I nod to him. I hated Marcus¡¯s cooking, but right now, I wasn¡¯t willing to put him down as if he would somehow vanish, and it would all be a dream, one I didn¡¯t want but now suddenly couldn¡¯t imagine not having him in it. Please be real; if I wake and it isn¡¯t real, I may just consider that I have lost my mind because who dreams this shit up? And actually wants it desperately to be true. I always wanted kids but never dreamed of them. ¡°Uncle Marcus will make you something to eat,¡± Valerian nods and eyes Marcus curiously. ¡°He doesn¡¯t smell like you?¡± ¡°I am an only child, so he is not a real Uncle, but he is like my brother to me,¡± ¡°Ah, you have a vige too? Mum and I have a vige, Aunty Zoe and Aunty Macey, are mums vige, did your dad make you leave too as mums did? He called her names, and we had to build our own family, ¡± Vrian states, and I blink at him. ¡°How about you tell me all about your vige, and then I think we should ring your mum?¡± Vrian nods. ¡°So you aren¡¯ting home with me?¡± he asks. ¡± How about we try to bring your mum here?¡± I tell him while walking into the living room. ¡°Thirsty, there is chocte milk?¡± Marcus calls out to him, and he nods. Marcus continues to the kitchen, and I ce him on the couch sitting across from him on the other. Marcus brings him a ss of milk, and Vrian takes it from him, gulping down half the ss before looking around at the coffee table. His brows furrow, but he doesn¡¯t set the ss down and I clench my teeth, I knew Marcus did it to see my reaction by the smug smile on his face, but I was shocked by Vrian¡¯s following words. ¡°Where are your coasters? You need coasters, ¡± he says, sitting like a statue as if the thought of cing the cup down would make the world stop. ¡°Definitely your kid,¡± Marcus says, rolling his eyes before walking off, anding back with a coaster. I watch as Vrian ces the coaster on the coffee table when Marcus gives it to him before he makes sure his cup is perfectly centered. The coaster is straight, making me remember Everly finding me coasters when I visited her. She said one of the kids of the rogues was a little OCD. Now I wondered if she meant our son. Valerian sps his hands in hisp, looking around and twiddling his thumbs. ¡°How did you find me?¡± I ask him. ¡°Mum, showed me a picture on the inte and I got maps, but I couldn¡¯t find your street. Casey got the wrong maps. And then I found him, and Tatum brought me here, ¡° ¡°I take it you¡¯re the missing rogue boy, I heard about on the radio?¡± ¡°I was on the radio?¡± He asks excitedly, and I smirk. Tatum chuckles, watching as he stands by the couch Vrian sits on. ¡°Yes, and I imagine your mother is quite worried about you, ¡° ¡°Mum always worry¡¯s about me,¡± ¡°I imagine that is what mothers do?¡± I tell him, and he nods. ¡°So, tell me more about your Vige,¡± I ask him. ¡°What do you want to know?¡± ¡°Do you know which pack your mother came from?¡± He shakes his head and chews his lip like he was thinking. ¡°I know mum had a sister, and they used to be best friends, she doesn¡¯t like speaking of her real family, ¡°So you have never met her parents, ¡± He shakes his head. ¡°No, they called mum a rogue whore and kicked her out because mum had me, but she isn¡¯t a rogue- whore right?¡± he says, his brows furrowing. ¡°Why would they do that?¡± he asks suddenly. I didn¡¯t know how to answer that, but from what I know, Everly was nearly twenty-three, so that would have made her Seventeen or eighteen when she had him. But then Everly¡¯s words flooded my mind, ¡°I am not a rogue-whore¡° she said, so that meant she knew who I was and what I was from the beginning? ¡°Did your mother say why she didn¡¯t tell me you existed?¡± he shrugs. ¡°She said she did tell you, but you didn¡¯t believe her, then she said she couldn¡¯t, ¡± Marcus also looks at me, and I try to think for a second. ¡°What do you mean she couldn¡¯t, ¡± He scratches his head. ¡°Why couldn¡¯t she?¡± ¡°In case you took me off her, Mum thinks I don¡¯t listen, but I do, she thinks you would take me away from her, but you won¡¯t, right?¡± I lean forward and brace my arms on my knees before scrubbing a hand down my face. ¡°No, I won¡¯t take you from her,¡± However, I would if she didn¡¯t tell me how the hell this was possible and also why the hell she kept him from me. ¡°How old are you?¡± he asks randomly. ¡°Me?¡± he nods. ¡°Twenty-nine, ¡± I tell him. ¡°Your old,¡± He snickers. ¡°You won¡¯t think that when you¡¯re my age, ¡± he goes to ask something else but I speak before he could. ¡± I think we should ring your mother, she would be worried, and I think I should talk to your mummy, ¡± I tell him and he nods. ¡°So you wille live with us now?¡± I pause because I knew that wasn¡¯t going to be a possibility anytime soon, or maybe it could be. If only it were that easy. I had no idea, this was thest thing I expected, but I suddenly felt like shit, that she had been raising our son on her own, looking after him all this time. I pull my phone from my pocket when I realize something else. I met her when she was rogue and kicked her out of my packhouse. My stomach sinks. I kicked my own son and mate out in the rain when she was homeless and living in her car. The thought sickened me, he was right there all this time and I did nothing for either of them. No wonder she hates me. Marcus ces a te of grilled cheese in hisp, and he stares at it before looking up at Marcus. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. ¡°For real, how is it possible for you to be so much like him when you have never met?¡± Marcus says, walking off and returning with a butter knife and fork as well as a cemat. ¡°They¡¯re happy now?¡± he asks, and Vrian goes to open his mouth. I dial Everly¡¯s number listening to it ring. Marcus watches Vrian before speaking again when Vrian still doesn¡¯t start eating. ¡°Yeah, yeah, I will get you a napkin, ¡± heughs, walking off, and Vrian smiles and so do I. Marcus ruffles his hair when he returns before passing him the napkin. ¡± Grilled cheese can be eaten with your hands, it¡¯s finger food,¡± Marcus tells him, and Vrian scrunches his face up. That¡¯s my boy. The phone continues to ring when after a few seconds she finally answers. ¡°I really haven¡¯t got time right now, ¡± Everly says, hanging up on me. I shake my head before redialing her number. ¡°What, Valen?¡± She growls into the phone. ¡°Want to exin how I have a boy with amber eyes and a startling resemnce to me sitting across from me?¡± I ask her, and she falls silent for a second. ¡°Vrian?¡± ¡°That would be him, we need to talk. One of my men will be waiting for you out the front of my hotel,¡± I nod to Tatum, and he nods back to me before walking out. ¡°See you soon, ¡± I tell her hanging up before she can say anything. If she wanted our son back, she coulde to me. Chapter 37 Chapter 37 Everly POV My hands trembled as we pulled up out front of the Hotel. Officer Richards had driven me and had escorted me to Alpha Valen¡¯s penthouse apartment. I wracked my brain trying to figure out how he had Vrian was here. Did he spot him at the school and take him? Did Vrian look for him, or did someone notice the uncanny resemnce between them? I had many questions, but nothing terrified me more than what happened now that Valen knew he fathered a son. He would have to kill me before I ever let him take my son. My nerves were shot, my eyes burned from spending all afternoon and night balling like a baby. My mind instantly went to he was kidnapped, or one of the Forsaken had killed him. The relief I felt when I found out he was alive and ok was as crushing as the thought of losing him. There was nothing worse than thinking you lost a child; the what- ifs, the sheer panic, and frantic ces your mind takes you were a pure nightmare. Your mind instantly goes to the worst-case scenario. The thing you fear most in the world, losing them for good, your child suffering, and you could do nothing to help them. No sort of fear couldpare to thinking you lost the most important person to you. Fear, once your parent changes. You no longer fear the boogie man. You no longer fear the dark, at least not for those same reasons you once did. Being a parent, you be the boogie manhunter. You don¡¯t fear him anymore. You fear ordinary people taking your child, your neighbor, the person hanging around the children¡¯s parks; you fear people in general. You suddenly be the person checking under the bed, the person entering the shadows first, not because you don¡¯t fear them still but because you fear them for a different reason. You fear them because you know the child behind you relies on you to keep them safe. No , you don¡¯t fear the dark; you fear what¡¯s lurking in it that could hurt your child. Just the same as you no longer fear death, what you truly fear is leaving them behind, knowing nobody would love them more than you. You fear what would be of them without you. So losing a child, no matter how briefly, nothing canpare to that sort of fear. The little person that has you getting out of bed each morning because the morning wouldn¡¯t be worth waking up to without them. Before children, I couldn ¡®t picture a life with him in it. Yet, once he was born, I can¡¯t remember a time when I didn¡¯t have him like it wasn¡¯t worth remembering. Children be all-consuming, you can¡¯t remember not having them because your life bes somebody else¡¯s, it wasn¡¯t yours anymore, it bes theirs, and you live each day for them, so t o think you lost one? You just lost your reason for breathing. Without them, there is no life worth living. So no fearpared to how I felt for those grueling hours of frantic searching and thinking the worst. Sometimes your own mind bes your worst tormentor. So moving into the elevator , I felt myself breathe, knowing he was safe, yet my anxiety never lessened because now we were back to fear number one. Someone taking my child, except it would be his own father this time. I moved from foot to foot as the elevator traveled up to the top floor. The Hotel was lovely, and I was shocked to find that Alpha Valen¡¯s floor was heavily guarded. Exactly who was he expecting to attack him? You had to use a key in the elevator to get to this floor. Officer Richard grabs my arm when I step out. He walks me to the middle of the corridor containing one door and five guards. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. Each one stared at me curiously. It must be strange for them to see a rogue girl visiting the Alpha, oh the scandal that would result in the media, if I was spotted here. Officer Richards knocks on the door before suddenly walking off. ¡°Psst, ¡± I hiss at him, and he stops. ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°Work, I was told to drop you off, not hold your hand,¡± he says with a smile. I was about to retort that he should remain if this turned into a violent custody disagreement when the door opened, and Beta Marcus was suddenly standing in front of me. ¡°Luna, ¡± He says, and I scrunch up my face. ¡°Yeah, don¡¯t call me that. Where is my son?¡± He steps aside, motioning for me toe in, and I step past him. The ce was all open- n, and I realized the entire floor was just his apartment. Large windows ran the whole length from floor to ceiling, looking over the City. I bet the view would be breathtaking at night. Hesitantly walking around, I notice another security guard sitting on the couch when I spot Vrian on the sofa beside him. The huge security guard had a game controller in his hand, and Vrian nced at me before shrieking. ¡°Mum!¡± he squeals, cing the controller he had in his hands down and rushing over to me. But before Vrian reached me, Alpha Valen scoops him up with one arm before depositing him back on the couch. Valen kisses his head before looking at the security guard, who nods to him in some silent message. ¡± Stay here. I need to speak to your mother, ¡± Valen tells Vrian as I step closer, wanting to see my boy. I try to move toward him. My heart frantically thumping in my chest as I reach the back of the couch when Valen grips my arm and suddenly starts walking. I stumble as I am forced backward before shoving him off, earning me a growl from him. ¡± Don¡¯t f*cking touch me, ¡± I hiss at him, making sure to keep my voice low so Vrian doesn¡¯t overhear as we stand in his oversized kitchen. Marcus leans on the counter, and my eyes dart to him when Valen steps closer, caging me in with his huge body and pressing me against the counter. ¡°You want to exin how the f*ck we have a son that I had no idea existed until he turned up on my doorstep, ¡° ¡°Well, for starters, you don¡¯t have a doorstep, just a door,¡± I tell him while rolling my eyes. If he was going to talk to me like shit, then this conversation is over before it started. I push on his chest, but he ces his hands on either side of my hips, refusing to move. ¡°I am not in the mood for more of your 1, ies, now answer me,¡± he growls. ¡°Who the f*ck do you think you are? You are not my Alpha. I will not tolerate you talking to me like some child that needs a scolding now back up,¡± I tell him and ring at him. His aura slips out, and the only thing keeping me upright is his body pressed against mine. A whimper escaped my lips, having forgotten just how powerful an Alpha aura was when directed at you in anger, and he was angry, no that wasn¡¯t a strong enough word. He was livid. ¡± Don¡¯t test me, Everly, you know exactly who I am and what I am capable of, just remember if you want to leave here with my son, you better start speaking, ¡± He warns when Marcuses up behind him and grips his arm. My eyes dart to him over Valen¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Valen, calm down, ¡± Marcus whispers to him, and he growls but steps back. I breathed deeply when his aura slipped off me, allowing me to stand without wanting to copse in a heap at his feet. ¡°How?¡± Alpha Valen says, leaning on the counter. He looks over his shoulder at our son, who is unaware of the tension behind him. ¡°Geez, I don¡¯t know Valen, crept into your bed and left without saying a word.¡± ¡°What?¡± He growls, and I scoff. Is he really that stupid? He runs his hand down his face before rubbing his temples. ¡°Exin. Why would you not tell me?¡± he growls. ¡°I did tell you, same as I told you I wasn¡¯t a rogue whore,¡± ¡°I am pretty sure I would remember if I had a son, Everly. Don¡¯t bullshit me; it¡¯s bad enough you fed that shit to our son,¡± he snarls. ¡°I did tell you, I also F*cking tried to tell you the night you kicked me out of your packhouse in the F*cking rain with our newborn son, I tried to tell you when I was pregnant, what did you expect me to do beg and plead for you to believe me because I F*cking tried that too, but you secretary kept telling me to bugger off, and that she would put an AVO on me¡± ¡°Was I drunk?¡± ¡°Which time, most of our encounters were when you were obliterated, not my issue that you are an alcoholic, I did my part.¡± ¡°You are so frustrating. You kept my son from me. My son is rogue because of you,¡± He snaps, pointing an using finger at me. I growl at him, and heughs, tossing his hands in the air. ¡°Laugh, go on. You think it is funny, you thought it was funny when I told you I was pregnant too, laughed like it was the funniest thing you ever heard,¡± He stops staring at me. ¡°There is no way I would have ignored someone telling me they are pregnant,¡± ¡°I would never sleep with a seventeen-year-old, especially a mongrel rted to Alpha John, well newssh asshole, you did! ¡± I spit at him. ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what you said, thenughed and hung up on me; I tried to ring you back and you said if I ever rang with my lies again, you would skin me alive, that you wouldn¡¯t be associated with a mutt of Alpha John¡¯s, ¡± I tell him before looking back at my son on the lounge. ¡°No, wait, repeat that. What did you just say? ¡± F*ck does this fool have amnesia to go with his OCD? What a messed-upbination that would be, though I would like watching him clean the same spot repeatedly. However, I shake that thought away when he steps closer, and I am forced to take a step back. ¡°Yourst name is Summers,¡± he states. ¡°It is now, it is my mother¡¯s maiden name, my father stripped me of his name the day he stripped me of my title because I fell pregnant to you, my father refused to have a rogue -whore for a daughter, just like you refused to believe you had fathered the child of mutt,¡± I tell him. Alpha Valen stares at me. ¡°You are not an Alpha; I would feel it if you were,¡± he says, folding his arms across his chest. ¡°I have been a rogue for five f*cking years, my aura is gone now, you sticking your dick in every bitch you came across for the past four and half years making sure my aura was obliterated. My aura is weak because of you, ¡° ¡°What are you talking about?¡± He snaps. I snarl. What part wasn¡¯t he getting? Looking at Marcus, I shove past Valen before grabbing him by the cor of his shirt and mming my lips against a startled Marcus who had his hands up in the air. Valen staggers, clutching his stomach, and I release Marcus, who looked like he was about to faint at what I did. Turning to Valen, I pointed at him. ¡°Now imagine how bad that would hurt if I f*cked him. too.¡± I growl at him. Valen¡¯s fists clench at his sides, and Marcus puts up his hands, taking a step away from him and me. ¡± She kissed me,¡± He yaps out when a furious growl tears out of Valen. This time earning the attention of our son. ¡°Mum?¡± ¡°Everything is fine, honey, y with your um¡­ new friend, ¡± I tell him, ncing at the behemoth of a man sitting next to my son ying video games when he looks like he should be chasing down the hulk. Vrian stands looking between us. ¡°I will be over in a minute buddy, sit down, please,¡± Valen tells him, and he nces between us again before reluctantly sitting back down and returning his attention back to the game. ¡°Tatum, his name is Tatum,¡± Valen says with a sigh, pointing to the man on the couch beside Vrian. ¡°Great, are we good now, we all on the same page? If so, I will grab my son and be on my way,¡± I tell him about to step past him when he blocks me with his arm. ¡°No, we aren¡¯t done yet,¡± Valen says, his teeth pulling back over his teeth. I sighed, folding my arms across my chest. I don¡¯t know what else we possibly had to talk about. ¡°If you are Alpha John¡¯s daughter, howe he has never mentioned you?¡± ¡°Did you not listen to a thing I just said? He thought I was a rogue -whore, shunned me for it like all the other packs do,¡± ¡°But you¡¯re not,¡± ¡°Very observant of you, now if you will excuse me, it is a school night, and I need to get my son home, ¡° ¡°He isn¡¯t leaving,¡± ¡°Like hell, he isn¡¯t, ¡° ¡°He is my son too. You can¡¯t just decide to keep him to yourself, ¡° ¡°And you don¡¯t get to wake up one day and suddenly decide to be a mate and father. It doesn¡¯t work like that,¡± I retort, and he suddenly rises taller, standing over me when Vrian is suddenly at our side. He tugs on his father¡¯s shirt, and he instantly steps back, looking down at him. ¡°I¡¯m tired,¡± Vrian yawns, and Valen looks at me when I bend down to pick him up. ¡°Have you eaten?¡± I ask him. ¡°Marcus made him grilled cheese; he also had some ice cream,¡± Valen answers, and I nod. ¡°Come, we should get you home for a bath and bed,¡± I tell him, ncing at Valen, who sighs but nods. ¡°I will run you home, ¡± he says, reaching for his car keys from a bowl on the bench. ¡°Are you going toe home with us?¡± Vrian asks his father, and I swallow. ¡°Not tonight, but I will pick you up in the morning to take you to school,¡± I re at him but keep my mouth shut. ¡°Really?¡± He says, brightening up and looking alert. ¡°Yes, your mother just needs to let me know what time to get you,¡± He asks, raising an eyebrow at me. I suppress a growl knowing it would only upset Vrian if I said no. ¡°He gets up at seven AM,¡± Valen nods before reaching for him, and I let him take him. ¡°Come on, we can talk more tomorrow. He should get to bed,¡± Valen says, and I followed him. Chapter 38 Chapter 38 Valen led us toward the door, and I was relieved he was letting me take our son home. Vrian had his head rested on my shoulder when Valen opened the door. My footsteps faltered, and I froze when I noticed his father talking to one of the guards out front. Valen also stopped, and I watched his father laugh at something one of the guards was telling him when he turned, and his eyes went to us standing in the doorway of his son¡¯s apartment. I drop my face into the Vrian¡¯s shoulder, and Alpha Kalen growls when Valen steps in front of me, blocking the view I had of his father. My heart fluttered frantically, noticing the man, and I fought the urge to take a step back. ¡°Why the f*ck do you have a rogue-whore in your apartment- ¡± His words cut off as his eyes settled on Vrian in my arms, his head just poking out above Valen¡¯s shoulder. He looked at his son and sniffed the air before shoving past Valen, and I stumbled over my own feet moving a step away. Valen¡¯s growl resonated off the walls as he tossed his father against the wall, making me jump. A hand grips my shoulder before I am yanked backward and out of the way. Valen pins his father against the wall. Valen¡¯s forearn was resting against Kalen¡¯s throat. I looked over my shoulder to see who had grabbed me and found Tatum and Marcus behind me. Marcus jerks me behind him, and Tatum grips my arms holding me steady before Marcus moves to the middle. ¡°What is the meaning of this Valen, that boy,¡± Kalen growls and looks back over at me, and his eyes narrow before shock flitted across his face. C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. ¡°You, ¡± he pointed at me, and Valen growls at his father in a clear warning. ¡°Everly! And you ever approach her like that father, and we will have issues, ¡± Valen warns, his canines slipping from his parted lips at angled toward his father¡¯s throat. ¡°You know her? ¡± Kalen asked, looking back at his son, and Valen sighed. ¡°Yes, ¡± Valen says, letting his father go and fixing his father¡¯s jacket. Kalen readjusted his tie before he nced between us. Vrian stirs in my arms and lifts his head before turning to investigate what is going on. Kalen¡¯s eyes widened when Vrian turned his head and looked at him. Having never met Vrian, Kalen took a startled step back when his eyes fell on his grandson. he looked even more shocked than seeing the woman his mate left everything she owned to. ¡°Mummy, who is that man?¡± Valerian whispers to me as he pats the side of my face, trying to get my attention. My eyes remain on the man responsible for killing the woman who made me who I am today. ¡°He is your grandfather, ¡± I tell Vrian while pressing my face to his and inhaling his scent, allowing me to calm some. Kalen blinked and went to take a step forward when his shoulder brushed Valen, who had once again moved into his path. Marcus also moves more blocking Alpha Kalen and taking up a protective stance behind Valen. ¡°You have a son?¡± Kalen gasps as he turns his head to look at Valen. ¡°Yes, and this is Everly; she is my mate, ¡° ¡°What? The rogue-whore is your mate?¡± ¡°Call her that once more, father, and see what happens, ¡± Valen warns. I was a little shocked to see him defend my title against his father, and I saw Kalen swallow. Kalen waves his hands in the air, and it is clear to me he was trying to get over his shock. I shuffle my feet awkwardly and rely on Valen to keep his father in check. Marcus and Valen looked over at me, struggling to hold Vrian¡¯s weight. Valen¡¯s eyes fell on my shaking arms; he moved past Marcus and reached for his son. I pulled back, not wanting Vrian anywhere near Kalen, but Valen growls at me, and I reluctantly let him go and allowed Valen to take him. My arms instantly felt empty, and Valen ced Vrian on his hip, kissing his temple before reaching for my hand and tugging me toward him. ¡°Everly, this is Kalen. Dad this Everly; my mate, ¡± Valen introduces us, unaware that no introductions were necessary. Kalen held out his hand to me, and Valen looked at me expectantly. I hesitantly ced my hand in his firm grip. Kalen yanks me toward him inhaling my scent. Valen growled menacingly behind me and saw Tatum and Marcus step closer like they were about to separate us and intervene if necessary. Kalen squeezed my hand painfully. I gritted my teeth when he shocked me by hugging me, squeezing the air from my lungs, and I felt my back crack. ¡°Nice to meet you, Everly, ¡± but the underlying warning in his tone I did not miss. Kalen pushed me back, holding me at arm¡¯s length, and pulled his face away; his ambers eyes met mine. A chill ran up my spine at the cold look he gave me. ¡± Nice to meet you,¡± I murmured back. The energy rippling off his father could not be missed. Not even by Valen, who looked at his father like he was about to toss him away from me. Kalen patted my arms before he gripped my shoulders, and his demeanor swiftly changed. ¡°We will have to catch up some time, sort this Rogue business out. My son can¡¯ t have a rogue for a mate ; the press would have a field day,¡± He said, his eyes scrutinizing my face, and Valen cleared his throat beside me. ¡°We would like to keep things quiet for now, father, at least until I wrap my head around the fact I have a son and mate, ¡± Valen tells his father. Kalen pats my shoulder. ¡°Yes, I think that is for the best, for now, ¡± Kalen said before looking at Vrian. His eyes softened as he stared at his grandson, and he pinched his chin between his fingers. Valerian stares up at him curiously, but Kalen¡¯s face held none of the animosity he had towards me. ¡°He has our eyes, son, looks like you when you were his age,¡± Kalen told Valen, who nodded in agreement. ¡°What is your name, son?¡± Kalen asks Vrian. ¡°Vrian papa, ¡± He answered, and I thought back the urge to cringe at the endearment Vrian used. ¡°Good name, a strong one, just like your father¡¯s. I look forward to getting to know you better, ¡± Kalen tells him, brushing his cheek gently with his thumb. ¡°Where are you all going?¡± Kalen asked, turning his gaze to his son. ¡°I am taking them home; it is a school night, ¡° ¡°Your mate and son aren¡¯t staying here with you?¡± Kalen asked before he looked over at me. I looked at Valen when he answered, saving me from having to. ¡°No, I was about to drop them home,¡± ¡°Nonsense, there is plenty of room; they should remain here; you will have to mark her. We can¡¯t have anyone noticing your mate is a rogue now,¡± Kalen said, and I took a step away from Valen and bumped into Marcus behind me. ¡°In good time, Father. Now, if you will excuse me, I need to get my son to bed,¡± Valen tells him before he reaches over and grabs my hand. Valen tugs me out of the door after him, and Kalen steps aside at Valen¡¯s dismissal, and I could feel his eyes on me as I walked with Valen to the elevator. Instinctively, I stepped closer to Valen, I hated that I did, but his father terrified me more than Valen did. Valen nced down at me for the action but didn¡¯t say anything as he hit the elevator button. Vrian yawns, mumbling as he tries to getfortable in his father¡¯s arm, and Valen tugs me against him and ces his arm across my shoulders. For once, I didn¡¯t shove him away, preferring his closeness and the safety it offered instead of remaining awkwardly at his side under his father¡¯s watchful gaze. ¡°Tatum! ¡± Valen called, and the monstrous man moved toward us. He stopped beside me and looked a t his Alpha. ¡°You are now assigned to Everly and Vrian,¡± Tatum nods and smiles down at me. ¡°Of course, Alpha,¡± he answers, and I wondered what Valen meant when the elevators doors opened, and Valen tugs me inside. Tatum also steps into the elevator with us, and I let out the breath I had been holding. ¡°I am sorry about my father; he has ¡± He paused. ¡°Has strong views about titles,¡± I offered, and Valen sighed. ¡°Yes, I will take care of it,¡± ¡°No need, ¡± I tell him while I reach for Vrian, but Valen pulls away. ¡°I have him; he is fine. I won¡¯t drop him, Everly, ¡± Valen says, pressing his nose against Vrian¡¯s hair and inhaling his scent. The drive back to the hotel was silent. I had climbed in the back with Vrian when we got to the car. Valen told me he would get Vrian a booster seat, and I said nothing. I had no idea how long until the novelty of having a child would wear off, so I didn¡¯t bother to argue that he wouldn¡¯t be taking our son anytime soon. Just as the car pulled up out the front, I clipped Vrian¡¯s seat belt while Valen parked the car. He got out quickly before scooping a sleeping Vrian into his arms and tossing his jacket over him to shield him from the rain. I led Valen to the apartment I shared with Zoe, Tatum looking around alert, which bothered me. He surely didn¡¯t mean Tatum would be following us, did he? My employees would never get any work done if Tatum hovered around. The man was huge and looked like he belonged in a cave grinding bones to make his butter, not following a rogue girl around and child. ¡°I can take him,¡± I tell Valen, who growls at me and pushes past; he sniffs the air before walking up the hallway, and I follow. Zoe was sitting up in her bed with a book ced in herp. She was with me when we got the phone call about Vrian, so I knew she would have waited up, and I would have to fill her in. ¡°In the morning,¡± I tell her, and I close her door after she nods to me. Walking over to Vrian¡¯s little room, I see Valen sitting beside him, tugging Vrian¡¯s shoes off before he tucked the nkets around him. I watched, safely tucked out of view as he tended to Vrian. He then switched the smallmp off and went to get up, and I moved away from the door when Vrian spoke, making me pause. ¡°You aren¡¯t leaving me, are you? I need you,¡± Vrian says, and Valen pauses. ¡°Mum needs you too; she won¡¯t admit that, though, so don¡¯t dob on me for telling you, ¡± I hear Valen chuckle softly. ¡± I ann leaving, but I will be back in the morning, ¡° ¡°Do y ou pinky promise?¡± Vrian asks, and I couldn¡¯t help but peek back into the room. Valen stares at his outstretched pinky before gripping it, giving it a shake, and Vrianughs. ¡°No, like this,¡± Vrian says, looping his pinky through his father¡¯s. ¡°That means you can¡¯t break it. Pinky promises are special, ¡± Vrian tells him. ¡°Ok, I pinky promise I will be back in the morning to take you to school, now get some sleep, ¡± Valen tells him, re -tucking the nket around him. I walk back off to the living area and see Tatum waiting by the door patiently. ¡°7 list, you said he gets up, right?¡± Valen asked as he walked up behind me. I nodded my head, and he stopped beside me. ¡°You don¡¯t have to do the school run, Valen, ¡± ¡°Well, I do now. Apparently, I can¡¯t break a pinky promise Everly, and I want to, I am not asking. He is my son too, ¡± Valen says, and I pressed my lips in a line. ¡°It¡¯ste. I willlet you get to bed. I will be back tomorrow. Tatum will be outside if you need anything, ¡° ¡°Wait, you aren¡¯t expecting him to remain here?¡± ¡°Ah, yes. Either he stays, o I do Everly, ¡° ¡± It¡¯s the middle of the night. What could possibly happen? We are going to bed. I am capable of looking after my son,¡± ¡°Our son and you are so capable that our son escaped school and found me, that shows a lot about your parenting skills, ¡° ¡°Don¡¯t talk to me about parenting, Valen. Where were you the first five years of his life? I didn¡¯t know he would go searching for you; he has never taken off before so, don¡¯t you me me for that,¡± ¡°Either way, Tatum stays, or I do, so which is it? I won¡¯t leave you both unprotected when forsaken are running around at the back of your hotel, ¡° I look over at Tatum. If I had to choose, it would definitely be the giant. ¡°Fine, but one night only, I won¡¯t have him scaring my employees, ¡° ¡± Fine, have it your way. I will stay tomorrow night then,¡± Valen says before pecking my head and walking toward the door before he stops. He turns looking back at me. ¡°And you heard my father Everly, I can¡¯t have you running around rogue, you have a week to get your head around letting me mark you, or I will do it by force if necessary, I won¡¯t have my son remain a rogue, ¡° he tells me before walking out and closing the door giving me no opportunity to protest. Chapter 39 Chapter 39 Alpha¡¯s Regret-My Luna Has A Son Chapter 39 Valen POV I couldn¡¯t sleep; all night I tossed and turned, knowing they were both over there and so close yet out of reach. It gave me a littlefort knowing Tatum was there with them, yet everything screamed I should be the one protecting them. How I had failed. No wonder she hated me. I would hate me too if our roles were reversed. Now a few past incidents made sense, why I could never hold a rtionship to save my life, why I had trouble with my sex life, the sudden bouts of depression seeping into me. Now it made me wonder if I knew all along on a subconscious level, and it was my body trying to stop me from making the idiotic decisions I sometimes did. She felt it, felt it all, and didn¡¯t say anything. When she kissed Marcus, the pain that she caused was brief yet painful all the same. How did she endure years of my infidelity? I may not have known about her but she certainly knew of me, which made me groan at how stupid I was. The countless brothels, the woman and she endured that pain over and over for countless long years. Five years, for some reason, that number kept popping up in my head as I tried to dredge up any memory that would lead me to her. Why was that number so significant? Besides the obvious, of course. Yet something nagged at me, tugged as it should matter to me. Five years, five years I muttered under my breath when I felt my breath leave me altogether , and I gasped, nearly choking on my own spit as I lurched upright. The Alpha meeting , the fairy girl, the girl who snuck out on me the following day. Could that have been her? I was pissed off that she left before I even woke, something told me it was Everly, yet I never saw her face, and Marcus woke me the following day, and she was gone. He said he passed the girl and I remembered it irritated me because I was angry he didn¡¯t stop her. That girl has remained in my thoughts for 5 years already and was one of the many things that got me through each night. Finding myself often thinking of the girl dressed as a fairy, yet I could never exin why she would randomly pop into my thoughts. Marcus had told me to look for her, yet when I checked the registry, I could never find her name , which now made sense; she was underage. She wasn¡¯t supposed to be in that side of the hotel, which was for only adults and ¡­. and future Alphas. She shouldn¡¯t have been where I was, and I always thought it odd when I went over the registry of attendees. I could never find anyone that even resembled her. No ID had me jumping the way Everly did. C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. I had spent weeks searching the Hotel database, yet she would have been in the kid¡¯s section. I cringed at that mental thought, don¡¯t go there. Creepy as hell, yet I remembered that night kind of. I remembered how I was drawn to her, and no matter where I turned, I found myself in her vicinity again, drawn to her like a moth to a me. It had to be her, and it made sense why she would have run. I spent weeks angry that she ran out on me, but it suddenly made sense because if Alpha John was her father, I could imagine the trouble she would have got in if she had been caught with me. That was back right in the middle of a brutal war whennd was being divided again after we brought out half of Silver stone Packnds, they fell under hot water with debts, and we settled those debts in exchange for a good size chunk of their territory giving us ownership to half the City. A war ensued too many lives were lost to violence in the streets, constant attacks, though my pack killed just as many as John¡¯s did, we weren¡¯tpletely innocent. Alpha John was furious and our feud only got worse. It added fuel to the fire, so it made me curious what changed between my father and John that they were now willing to marry me off to his daughter. What were chances I would be mates with one of his daughters, just not the one they were trying to make me marry? Nothing made sense, my father, hated Alpha John, but now they seemed amicable, friendly, and it made me wonder what John had over him. My father was not a man to back down to his rivals, more like stomp on them and kick them to the curb.My phone buzzes beside where Iy, and I nce at it to see Tatum¡¯s number pop up. Quickly opening it, I answered the phone. ¡°Everything okay?¡± ¡°Yes, Everly went for a run. Should I follow her or stay with your son?¡± ¡°Um, do you know where she went?¡± ¡°I asked, but she said it was none of my business and walked out,¡± ¡°Just give her space; if she isn¡¯t back after an hour though, ring me,¡± ¡°Okay, boss, ¡± Tatum says, hanging up. Going through my phone contacts. I quickly rang her, hoping Everly would be more talkative on the phone, then face to face. We only seemed to argue when in each other presence, but I was slowly starting to understand why. ¡°What? Valen, ¡± She answered after the third ring. She sounded tired, her voice strained. ¡°Tatum said you left the apartment, ¡° ¡°Zoe is there, I didn¡¯t leave by himself, and I figured your friend would watch over him unless there is a reason I shouldn¡¯t be leaving Vrian with him?¡± ¡°No, Tatum is fine. He is safe. I was just concerned where you were going thiste at night, ¡° ¡°The reserve, however, I am headed back home because someone fixed the damn fence again. I had it reopened yesterday afternoon, and someone keeps fixing it,¡± Everly curses, and I hear her kick the mesh. I pressed my lips in a line knowing it was my fault. ¡°Ah, that may be my fault. Marcus told me the fence was broken. I sent someone out to fix it,¡± ¡°Of course, it was you, ¡± She sighed. ¡°Well, I will stay on the phone with you, make sure you get home okay. How was I supposed to know it was intentionally opened, ¡° ¡± I am capable of getting home Valen, and It¡¯s fine, a lot of use it as a shortcut, it is fine I can wait until tomorrow or something, ¡± She said though she sounded like she was almost breathless. ¡°Please, this doesn¡¯t have to be an argument just don¡¯t hang up until I know you¡¯re back with Tatum. Do you always go running thiste?¡± She doesn¡¯t hang up on me, so I figured she was giving in. ¡°No,¡± ¡°Then why are you running sote? ¡± Everly doesn¡¯t answer straight away, and I nce at the phone to make sure it is still connected. ¡°Because I need to,¡± She finally says though it sounded more like a murmur and like there was more meaning to it than that. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, Valen. Anyway. I am at my door. Your bodyguard is staring at me because I look like a drowned rat from the rain. Can I go now?¡± ¡°I just want to make sure you are home safe,¡± She groans, the noise sounding annoyed. ¡± Oi, BFG, tell your boss I am home, ¡± I hear her say before I hear Tatum. ¡°She is home, ¡± I hear in the background and sigh with relief. ¡°You might as welle in. It is pouring. I can¡¯t have you sleep out here; you can stay on the couch, ¡± I hear her tell him. ¡°Ah, just one second, ¡± I heard murmured before I felt the mindlink open up. ¡°Are you for real right now, are you seriously asking permission?¡± I vaguely hear Everly say through the phone before Tatum¡¯s voice flits through my head at the same time she snaps at me through the phone. ¡°Either he cane in, or he leaves. I won¡¯t be able to sleep knowing he is outside freezing on my doorstep, ¡± Everly snaps at me through the phone. ¡± I take you got what she said?¡± Tatum asked through the mindlink. ¡± It¡¯s fine, I say to him and out loud so Everly could hear too.¡± I cut the mind-link and hear Everly sigh. ¡°I will grab you a towel, and if you get beaten in the morning by a petite girl with an angelic face, it is just Zoe, I live with her, ¡± Everly warned him and I could only imagine the amused look he would have had at that. I hear Tatum grunt at that, and I smiled, amused that she would warn him she lived with someone, he already knew, he would have noticed the extra scents. ¡°Okay, can I go now? Tatum is sleeping on the couch and I am tired, ¡° ¡°Yes, Everly goodnight, ¡± I tell her, and she hangs up. I sighed now to convince her to let me mark her. I stared up at my ceiling ; I couldn¡¯t help but smile despite the fact she hated me. She still named our son after me. Vrian was my middle name and my father¡¯s middle name. All the men in our family had the same middle name, well, except Vrian, obviously, which made me wonder what it was. Yeah, my dad definitely had a thing for the letter V. Valen Vrian Sce, what a mouthful that was growing up, yet I knew he named me also in honor of my mother Vrie with a mix of his name too. We had the Alpha meeting coining up soon, it wouldn¡¯t be long now, and I would have to put everything out in the open. I just hoped Everly would let me mark her with in the next week. I wasn¡¯t so sure I could actually go through with forcibly marking her, not after everything I had already made her endure, and I didn¡¯t want to give her more reason to hate me. On the plus side, I now had more excuses to see her since we shared a son together. I never gave much thought to being a father, I have always wanted kids because it was expected, but I never really pictured children. However, meeting Vrian, it is all I wanted to be now, f*ck everything else ; I just wanted my mate and son. Wanted to be a part of his life and hers if she would have me. Rolling on my side, I set my rm. I had a pinky promise to keep, and I had no intentions of breaking it. Chapter 40 Chapter 40 Alpha¡¯s Regret-My Luna Has A Son by Jessicahall Chapter 40 Everly POV Yesterday was rough,st night even tougher. I didn¡¯t get any sleep; my entire body was aching from tossing and turning. The mate bond grew stronger each time I saw him, and the pain of denying it was getting harder to ignore. I rolled out of bed and to the sound of soft murmurs. That meant Zoe was awake as I heard her trying to wake Casey in the room beside mine. Getting to my feet, I quickly opened my door to see her in all her bedhead glory. She yawns and smiles at me. ¡°Morning, ¡± She says, turning her attention back to Casey¡¯s open door before she does a double-take. She stepped away from me, and Casey went to step out of her room when Zoe shoved her back inside the door and quickly shut it. Casey banged on the door. ¡°Just a minute, sweety,¡± Zoe said before gripping my arm. ¡°What happened? Did that bastard hurt you? I will f*cking kill him,¡± She whispered yelled. ¡± Swear Jar,¡± Casey called through the closed door while I tried to figure out what had got into her. ¡°Huh?¡± Zoe ushered me into the bathroom, turning me to look in the mirror, and I gasped at what I saw. Blood smeared my face, and the dark rings under my eyes looked like I got into a fight and was on the losing end of it. I reached for a washcloth and quickly washed my face, but no physical injuries were present. ¡°Must be a nose bleed,¡± I tell her, which was something that was bing more frequent. Whenever I saw him, it seemed to me that something would get worse, headaches nosebleeds. I blink at my reflection before leaning in when I notice the discoloration of the whites around my eyes, no longer white but blood red. ¡°What the f*ck?¡± I whispered. ¡°You need to figure out something soon, Everly, ¡° ¡°It¡¯s fine; I will go see a doctor, ¡± I tell her, though I knew it was pointless. ¡°No, you need to see your mate. Or mark someone,¡± Zoe gasps, and I stare at her in the mirror. Her eyes were watery, and as she watched me, concerned. ¡± It¡¯s been four and half years, Everly, and you are already deteriorating. What will it be like in another five years? How much worse? ¡± I shrugged. I had no idea, but clearly, that wasn¡¯t the answer she was after because she stalked off down the hall. The moment I stepped out of the bathroom, I heard a shriek before her voice reached my ears. ¡°The bodyguard right, geez, you scared the crap out me,¡± Walking into the living room, Tatum was sitting up. ¡± You get many breaks-in to sleep on your ufortable sofa?¡± He groans, and I hear his back crack. He tosses the nket aside before making his way to the kitchen and flicking the kettle on. ¡°Coffee?¡± He asks, giving Zoe the once over; she was wearing her silky pajamas with kittens on them and rainbow toe socks. ¡°Nice socks, ¡± Tatum smirks, and she res at him. He was barking up the wrong tree if he was going to mock her socks, she had an entire collection of those toe socks, and in the wintertime, she even liked to wear them with her flip flops. She called them her winter editions flip flops. She growls at him, and he purrs back at her, which shuts her up quickly before she pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes at him. ¡°Uncle Tatum, ¡± Valerian screams, rushing out. Anything would think they knew each other all their lives with Vrian¡¯s excitement. At the same time Tatum scooped him up, there was a knock on the door. ¡°That would be your father, kiddo, ¡± Tatum said, cing him down. Valerian moved to the door and swung it open before bouncing on the balls of his little feet. ¡°You came back; you came back, ¡° ¡°I pinky promised, didn¡¯t I,¡± Valen tells him, picking him up. He stepped into the apartment, and the apartment felt smaller suddenly, with two bulky men taking up space. Coffee, boss, ¡± Valen nods to Tatum before Tatum turns to me. ¡°Coffee, what happened to your eyes?¡± He says, shoving past the table and knocking a chair over. ¡°Allergies, ¡± I stated as he gripped my face with his huge sausage fingers. Zoe scoffs beside me, and he nces at her before raising an eyebrow at me when I swat his hands away. Valenes over and grips my face, and I jerk away from his tingling touch. Allergies? ¡± He questions when Vrian suddenly speaks against me. ¡°Mum gets them all the time, and nose bleeds. She gets a lot of nosebleeds, ¡± Valerian says, and I press my lips in a line. Valen looks at me, and his lips part before he nods and looks at Vrian. ¡°Well, mummy needs to see a doctor. I will take her, ¡± He tells Vrian, and I went to object when Zoe adds her two cents worth. ¡°Good idea, she sees doctor Mary at the rogue center, ¡± Zoe says, folding her arms across her chest, and I noticed Tatum¡¯s eyes dart to her cleavage, and I re at her. ¡°My mate is not going to a rogue center,¡± Valen states before realizing what he said to Zoe, who is also a rogue. ¡°And why is that?¡± She says, dropping her hands to her waist and popping her hip. Oh, careful, Valen, you may just get into an argument you can¡¯t win with her. ¡°Good enough for rogues. It should be good enough for everybody, or are you admitting that this City is discriminative?¡± She says with a re. Valen says nothing, just turns away from her, choosing not to answer. Good thing, too, because Zoe was a firecracker before her morning coffee. Never cross paths with Zoe if she is in a bad mood and hasn¡¯t had her morning coffee yet. She may be small, but damn she got a good right hook. You only have to ask the pool boy to know that or Macey¡¯s brother. ¡°Okay, how about we get you ready for school Vrian, ¡± asks Valen while walking off into his room down the small hall. Tatum hands me a coffee giving me a worried look before handing me an extra cup. ¡°For the boss,¡± ¡°Your boss. Not mine,¡± I tell him stalking off down the hall to find my mate and Vrian. Stepping into the room, Valerian pulled his clothes out of the wardrobe while Valen looked around. Stopping beside him, he takes his mug from my hand and sips it.¡± ¡°Does not look like a kids room, ¡± He mumbles to me. ¡°Vrian doesn¡¯t like a mess, ¡± I whisper back. ¡°You know I can hear you, right? ¡± Valerian asked as heid his clothes on the bed neatly. Valen chuckles and turns around and Vrian eyes his father¡¯s cup before going over to his little desk, pulling out two coasters, and sitting them on his bedside table. Valen lets out a breath just like I had seen his son do many times when he found something rxing. Apparently, coasters were rxing. cing mine on the coaster, I moved to his wardrobe, retrieving his shoes from the bottom of hit and cing them beside his perfectly made bed. It was one of the first things he did. The moment he got up, he made his bed. I had even caught him making Casey¡¯s or remaking mine. That¡¯s one of the reasons I made sure to shut my door of a morning. Sometimes hispulsions became a little much. I was more a roll-out of the bed of a morning and made the bed before I climbed back in it sort of person. We helped him get ready, and Valen watched everything like he was learning something new. It made me nervous while I gelled my son¡¯s hair and ttened his cor when Valen suddenly started unbuttoning his shirt. I just buttoned because Vrian whined about the cor not beingpletely wrinkle-free. How either of them could spot the tiny crease was beyond me. ¡°It isn¡¯t necessary I ironed it the other day,¡± ¡°I can feel it, I can feel it, I know it¡¯s there, ¡± Valerian cried as Valen undid thest button. ¡± I will do it,¡± Valen tells him, giving him a worried look as Vrian had a meltdown. ¡°Breathe, buddy. It isn¡¯t the end of the world; it can be fixed,¡± Valen states, walking out before stopping in the hall. He scratched his head before looking back at me. ¡°Where do you keep your ironing board and iron?¡± He asks. ¡°Ah, theundry where else?¡± ¡°Well, mine is in my linen closet, ¡± He says with a shrug. ¡°See, I told you and Zoe it belongs in there, ¡± Valerian huffs.C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. ¡°Yes, the dryer puts lint on-¡° ¡°The ironing board, ¡± they both say at the same time, and I fold my arms and raise an eyebrow. Valen chuckles and shakes his head. ¡°Definitely, my kid,¡± he chuckles, walking off to find theundry. While the kids ate breakfast, I was onto my second cup of coffee when Valen nced up at me briefly while he cut Vrian¡¯s pancakes. ¡°I will be by at one to pick you up,¡± Valen states. Now, what did he want? It was bad enough I had spent my early waking hours with him this morning. ¡°And why is that? Vrian doesn¡¯t finish school until 3,¡± ¡°I am taking you to see the doctor,¡± ¡± No, I will go myself. You don¡¯t need toe to a doctor with me; I am fine,¡± ¡°I will pick you up at ,¡± ¡°Valen!¡± I spat at him, and he pins me with a re, his aura slipping out, and my grip on my mug tightened. ¡°I will pick you up at 1; it isn¡¯t up for discussion, ¡± Valerian nces between us. The tension in the room was so thick you could cut it with a knife. Tatum cleared his throat, and I was thankful when he changed the subject. Valen ended up taking Vrian and Casey to school much to Casey¡¯s amusement. She happily kept asking if being Alpha meant he could kill people and get away with it before asking if she could banish her teacher because she and Vrian said she looked like a poodle. I shook my head at that, but Valen politely answered all her questions before offering to take her to school. Zoe ended up giving in when she got a call from Casey¡¯s father, who she had been trying to avoid since his parents found out about Casey. Walking through the hotel, I headed for my office. I waved and smiled at my secretary as I passed her before escaping into my office. Turning the lock, I moved toward my desk only to freeze. Alpha Kalen was sitting behind my desk. His leg crossed over the other in a reclined position. ¡°Good Morning, Everly. I thought it was a good idea; I stopped by for a little chat, ¡± I pursed my lips, folding my arms across my chest. ¡°Is that so,¡± I asked. Chapter 41 Chapter 41 Alpha¡¯s Regret-My Luna Has A Son by Jessicahall Chapter 41 Valen POV Vrian and Casey excitedly pulled me down the halls of their run-down school. The floor alone was filthy with scuff marks, and I shivered with disgust and had to fight the urge to start scrubbing the floor. The ssrooms weren¡¯t much better, the desks falling apart as the chipboard ked, some kids were even sitting on milk crates. I looked around to ensure this was a school and not some homeless shelter. Valerian showed me to his desk, and his desk was definitely the cleanest one in the room. I watched as he removed a white table cloth from his bag and set up his desk. His pencils sat neatly in a row as he ced each one out carefully. However, Casey opens her pencil case and upends it on the table, and I see him cringe before he res at her and starts rearranging her pencil in a straight line. I didn¡¯t want to touch a thing in here; this ce was a bacterial infection waiting to happen when the teacher came in, and I had to do a double-take of the woman. She indeed had a poodle¡¯s hair, like she chose the style out of a dog magazine. It was short and curly on top, and then a poof of hair cascaded to her shoulder, her round sses perched on the end of her nose. She taps her ruler on the desk, trying to grab the students¡¯ attention when the ruler snaps, and she stares at it before tossing it over her shoulder. Itnded in the bin, making me wonder how many rulers she had broken. ¡°Oh, Alpha Valen, and why are you here? ¡± She looks around nervously at the students like she thought I was somehow a danger to them. ¡°My son,¡± I tell her, pointing to Vrian, and she giggles. The sound was more like a hyena; damn, she was a strangedy. She waves me over, and I nce at Vrian, who rolls his eyes at her. I gave him a pointed look at his rudeness, but I now understood why he called her a poodle. I had to fight the urge to straighten her poofy hair as I walked over to her when I got a whiff of something that smelt strangely like weed, the kind you smoked. I sniff the air as I stop next to her. ¡°Are you high?¡± I whisper to her. ¡°You would be too if you had to teach this lot, want some, got a bit left,¡± I blink at her, she just offered me drugs, I nce around the ssroom wondering if I imagined it, surely she didn¡¯t? What sort of school was this? ¡°Ah no, but I, my son, and Casey will be leaving now, ¡± I tell her, motioning for both kids toe with me. Valerian starts picking up his stuff off his desk when the woman taps my shoulder with her finger. Which in turn made me nce at her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sir, but you are not on either of their contact lists, I can not allow you to take those children, ¡° ¡°He is my son, and I brought Casey here,¡± I tell her. ¡°Unless you are on the documentation, I can not allow you to remove them from ss, and as far as I know, Valerian has no father. Everly Summers never mentioned you being his father; he is a rogue, sir and you can not juste into a school and im a child as your own. We have rules and regtions. ¡° Rules, I wondered briefly what their practices were on drugs and teachers offering parents to get high. This woman was getting on my damn nerves; not only was she high as a kite, but she also looked ridiculous and was unfit to be teaching primary age children or anyone for that matter. ¡°Vrian, Casey, grab your stuff, ¡± I tell them. The entire ss watched on as Mrs whatever her name frantically stepped in their way as they moved to the front of the ssroom. ¡°Sir, I am sorry, but I can¡¯t allow you to take them, ¡° She screeches. Ignoring her I reached over and grabbed Vrian¡¯s hand, tugging him gently over to me when her hand fell on my arm. The growl that tore out of me made her quickly step back away from me. ¡°Touch me again, and you will find yourself out there with the forsaken, ¡± I grit out, and she gasps. Casey rushes over to me, stepping beside Vrian and I turn on my heel leaving the ssroom. This was uneptable, and I couldn¡¯t believe Everly would allow our son to be taught here by a high woman. What was she thinking? ¡°Where are we going, dad?¡± Valerian asks. ¡°Anywhere but here, ¡± I tell him stalking off down the hall. I slow my steps when I see both kids struggling to keep up with my long strides. ¡°Aw, and today is the show and tell; I brought Mr scruffy, ¡± Casey whines. ¡°You show Mr scruffy every week, Casey, ¡± Vrian tells her. ¡°I do not,¡± ¡°You do too, ¡± ¡°Na,¡± ¡°Aha, you do, every show and tell,¡± Valerian and her bicker on the way to the car. ¡°You can do a show and tell at home. Marcus will love to hear about Mr. Scruffy, ¡± I tell her, needing them to stop arguing while I thought of what to do about this entire schooling situation. When my phone rang, I stopped just outside the school¡¯s entrance and pulled it from my pocket. Everly¡¯s name pops up on the screen, so I answer it. ¡°Why has the school rang me to say you have kidnapped Vrian and Casey?¡± ¡°I have done no such thing. Technically I am still on school property, ¡± I tell her. ¡°Vrian¡¯s teacher just rang me, Valen. Where is my son?¡± ¡°Beside me, with Casey, do you know his teacher is a stoner?¡± I whisper thest part through gritted teeth. She falls quiet for a second before I hear her sigh. ¡°Yes, most are, a lot of the teachers there are from the roguemune. What do you expect?¡± ¡°It is uneptable, ¡° ¡°Well, I have not got time for this. I am in a meeting with¡­.Ah¡­ with someone, ¡° ¡°That¡¯s fine, I will watch them. I am not leaving them with her,¡± ¡°No, Valen, they need to be in school, and I am supposed to pick up Taylor today, ¡° ¡°And who is this Taylor?¡± I demand. If she has a boyfriend, he will be very much a dead one. ¡°Huh, Macey¡¯s daughter, it¡¯s my turn to pick them up today, ¡± I sigh, looking back at the school before heading back into the corridor. I stop and look at all the open ssrooms before ncing down at Casey and Vrian. ¡°You know which one is Taylor¡¯s ss?¡± ¡°Valen, you can¡¯t just kidnap other people¡¯s kids,¡± Everly screeches through the phone at me. ¡°I¡¯m not. Get Zoe and Macey to ring and give me permission to take them. You have five minutes, ¡± I tell her, hanging up. ¡°Macey was in our ss, dad,¡± Valerian tells me. Great, I start off walking back to the ssroom to see his ipetent teacher. Pushing the door open, the teacher jumps before a smug smile splits onto her face. ¡± I see youe to your senses before I had to ring the authorities, ¡± She says. ¡°Yes, I have. Which one of you is Taylor?¡± I ask, and a little girl at the back raises her arm in a cast. ¡± Psst, Marley, we going with my dad, we breaking out of here,¡± Valerian tells her, and her eyes dart to the teacher. Oh, right, stranger danger, I thought, shit, I would technically be kidnapping that one when the teacher¡¯s phone suddenly rang. She answers while getting between the rest of the ss and me. Like her tiny withered frame would stop me. ¡°Hello, Ms. Summers, ¡± I tap my foot impatiently, listening when her eyes dart to me before she looks at Taylor and shakes her head. ¡°Ms. Summers, I can¡¯t allow him to take her,¡± ¡°Oh, oh right, well put Ms. Aldrene on then, ¡± The teacher chats to whoever she was handed over to when the teacher suddenly holds the phone out to me. I raise an eyebrow at her. ¡°Ms. Aldrene wants to speak with you,¡± I take the phone from her grip and ce it to my ear. ¡°Hello,¡± ¡°Are you seriously kidnapping our kids?¡± ¡°Not kidnapping, babysitting, this is not a school,¡± I tell her. ¡°Well, if you don¡¯t like the schooling Mr. Sce do something about it. It is the only school here for rogue children, but I swear to god you try to take my daughter out of this City; you won¡¯t need to fear the Forsaken. Alpha or not, I will skin you alive and put you on ants nest,¡± ¡°Are you finished?¡± I ask her. ¡°Yes, I trust Everly and Zoe¡¯s judgment of you. Now put Taylor on. She will not go with a stranger,¡± Macey tells me, and I walk over to the girl and pass her the phone. She talks to her mother for a second before grabbing her school bag, and she nervously hands the phone to her teacher when Casey grabs her hand. We leave the school, and I put the kids in the car before jumping in the driver¡¯s seat. I look in the mirror at the three kids. Now, what do I do? 3 ¡°Where are we going, Mr. Vrians dad,¡± Taylor asks, and my eyes dart to her in the rearview mirror. I think for a second, I have never babysat a child in my life. ¡°What about the movies?¡± ¡°We can¡¯t go there, ¡± ¡°Why not?¡± I ask them. ¡°Because we are Rogue, it isn¡¯t in the Rogue areas,¡± Casey says, ying with her Mr scruffy dog that was missing an ear and an eye. ¡°Well, today you can because you are with me, but first I need to ring Uncle Marcus, ¡± I tell them, pulling my phone from my pocket and dialing his number. I listen to it ring. ¡°We have until 12:30 plenty of time to watch a movie before I have to pick up your mother,¡± I tell Vrian. ¡°Can we watch the new trolls movie? I saw an adst night for it,¡± Casey chirps excitedly. C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. ¡°Ooh yes, I want to watch trolls,¡± Taylor says. ¡°Trolls suck, ¡± Vrian says. ¡°Majority rules. We will watch these trolls, whatever it is,¡± I tell him. ¡°Marcus,¡± I say when he answers. ¡°Yep, what¡¯s up,¡± ¡°We are going to the movies, ¡± ¡°You¡¯re not my type,¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a date, fool,¡± ¡°Are you saying I am not dating material, ¡± Marcus says. ¡°No, but you are babysitting material,¡± ¡°Ah. Fine, but your paying for our non -date, and I want a snow cone. What are we going to see?¡± ¡°Apparently trolls, ¡° ¡°Never heard of it, horror?¡± ¡°Ah,¡± ¡°I nce at the kids in the back. ¡°What are the trolls like the scary kind?¡± I ask them. ¡°These ugly monster things they love, ¡± Vrian answers folding his arms across his chest and pouting. ¡°I think it is an action movie, fitting maybe trolls under a bridge or something, ¡± I tell him. ¡°Ah, fine, and why are we going to the movies?¡± ¡°I need help babysitting, ¡± I tell him. ¡°You need help to babysit YOUR son?¡± He asks. ¡°No, I have acquired two extras for the day,¡± Chapter 42 Chapter 42 Alpha¡¯s Regret-My Luna Has A Son by Jessicahall Chapter 42 Everly POV ¡°You look worried, ¡± Kalen states. He leaned forward before standing up, he motioned toward my chair, and I walked over to it before taking my seat. Kalen takes the seat on the other side of my desk. ¡°No, I kind of expected it. You here too, what? Threaten me about telling Valen about Vrie? ¡± I ask while pulling my phone from my pocket and sitting it on the desk. "You think that little of me?¡± ¡°Well, you did let your mate die, so what else should I think?¡± ¡°I never intended for that to happen. I loved Val, she.. I wasing to im her, and she always hid how bad it was,¡± ¡°Bullshit, ¡° ¡°You think I wouldn¡¯t take it back if I could?¡± I didn¡¯t care to hear his excuses, and I knew Tatum would be lurking around, so if needed, I only had to call out to him. ¡°What do you want?¡± I ask him. ¡°Let Valen mark you, ¡± I fold my arms across my chest and sit back, I didn¡¯t expect that. ¡°No, ¡° ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid, Everly. Do you want to turn out like Vrie?¡± ¡°And whose fault is that?¡± I spat at him. ¡°F*cking stubborn woman, you¡¯re just like her. Set in your ways, ¡° ¡°Marking me will solve nothing, five years I lived with him screwing around, am I supposed to forget that, forget him turfing me out in the rain when I tried to tell him?¡± Kalen scrubs a hand down his face. ¡°My son won¡¯t take anyone besides his mate, and I need some kind of leverage against your father, ¡° ¡°My father is not my issue,¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be so stupid. I am trying to stop a war, ¡± ¡°And you think I am the answer to it. My father won¡¯t care if I marry Valen or mate and mark him. He hates me and me having a kid to him will only make him hate me more if he finds out,¡± ¡°You have no idea what¡¯s at stake here, ¡± ¡°For you or me?¡± ¡°Both,¡± ¡°Then tell me I am not a damn mind reader you need to be either transparent or get out of my office, ¡° ¡°I know you don¡¯t trust me, Everly. But I am trying to do the right thing here, ¡° Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°You¡¯re right; I don¡¯t so cut to the chase. What is it you really want?¡± ¡°I want my son to be happy. I want my grandson to be a part of his life,¡± He pauses and sighs heavily. ¡°I want to make up for the past. I want to do what¡¯s right by Vrie, what she would have wanted, ¡± He says, and I chew my lip. ¡°How does letting Valen mark me help you with my father, ¡° ¡°Because when does, you are going to announce whose daughter you are,¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°Valen won¡¯t mark Ava now he knows he has a mate, ¡°I am not sure I understand what you are getting at, ¡± I told him when my phone started ringing and vibrating on the table. I nce at it, and so does Kalen, who motions me to answer it since it was the school. The moment I answered, Vrian¡¯s teacher was screeching at me through the phone. I jerked the phone away from my ear and ced it on the loudspeaker, so I didn¡¯t rupture an eardrum. Kalen shook his head while I tried to get her to calm down. ¡°Ms. Summers, a man hase and stolen your Vrian and Little Casey from ss. He just walked out with them. He is iming Vrian is his son,¡± I growl, annoyed while Kalen smiled, muttering under his breath. ¡°Alpha Valen, ma¡¯am?¡± ¡°Yes, do you know that no good scoundrel?¡± I roll my eyes. Alpha Valen wasn¡¯t the most favored Alpha among rogues. Kalen cleared his throat, and I sighed, knowing I had to admit there was no kidnapping, and Valen is his father. ¡°Yes, he is Vrian¡¯s father, he took him to school for me this morning, ¡± I tell her, and Kalen nods and folds his arms, obviously happy with my answer. I didn¡¯t get Kalen; I thought for sure he would be here trying to warn me away from his son, not encourage me to be with him. I narrow my eyes at him, listening to her tell me I needed to fill forms out at the school, that Valen had to hand in his ID, and yadda, yadda like anyone would actually be able to stop the feared Alpha Valen even if he broke thew, he was thew in the City. ¡°I will speak to him,¡± I assure her before hanging up. I grit my teeth and start searching my contact list for his number before hitting dial. He answered it after a couple of rings, and I snapped at him before he had a chance to speak. ¡°Why has the school rang me to say you have kidnapped Vrian and Casey?¡± ¡°I have done no such thing. Technically I am still on school property,¡± he states, and I rub my forehead before pinching the bridge of my nose in frustration. ¡°Vrian¡¯s teacher just rang me, Valen. Where is my son?¡± I ask through gritted teeth. I was beginning to get a headache. ¡°Beside me, with Casey, do you know his teacher is a stoner? ¡± he whispered, and I sighed. It was pretty obvious she was, I don¡¯t think a single teacher there was actually sober. ¡°Yes, most are. A lot of the teachers there are from the roguemune. What do you expect?¡± ¡°It is uneptable, ¡± he snaps at me, and I move the phone to the other ear when suddenly Kalen is holding out a tissue to me. My brows furrow when I feel something dribble on my lips and taste my blood coating my lips. I take it from him, and he watches me, his brows pinching together, and he opens his mouth but quickly closes. ¡°Well, I have not got time for this. I am in a meeting with¡­.Ah¡­ with someone, ¡° ¡°That¡¯s fine. I will watch them. I am not leaving them with her,¡± Watch them. He wouldn¡¯t even know what to do with them. Yet I was stuck here in this ridiculous meeting with his father, but I didn¡¯t want to tell him that and have him get it stuck in his head that I was allowing him to mark me. ¡°No, Valen, they need to be in school, and I am supposed to pick up Taylor today, ¡° ¡°And who is this Taylor?¡± He demands, and I could hear the burning anger in his voice. Kalen chuckles, and I raise an eyebrow at him. ¡°Jealous.¡± Kalen mouths to me. ¡°Huh, Macey¡¯s daughter, it¡¯s my turn to pick them up today, ¡± I sighed, shaking my head, amused that he thought Taylor was a man. ¡°You know which one is Taylor¡¯s ss? ¡± I hear him ask one of the kids. ¡°Valen, you can¡¯t just kidnap other people¡¯s kids,¡± I tell him. ¡°I¡¯m not. Get Zoe and Macey to ring and give me permission to take them. You have five minutes, ¡± he abruptly hangs up, and I curse, and Kalen chuckles. ¡± He thought you were seeing someone, I know my son, and he never gets defensive like that, ¡± Kalen laughs. ¡± He has no right to be anything, ¡± I tell him before walking to the door and asking the secretary to get Macey and Zoe. ¡°My son may have a reputation, but he is a good man, far better than me. He would be a good father, Everly, ¡° ¡°What about a good mate? Can you promise me that? ¡± Kalen sighed heavily. ¡°Look, you want your son safe, right, protected. Valen is the key to protecting him,¡± ¡°I have protected him for years, and I don¡¯t need Valen¡¯s help or your strange help if that is even what you are doing or trying to do,¡± Kalen went to say something when the door burst open. Macey and Zoe rushed in. Macey seeing Kalen, res at him before pointing an using finger at him. ¡°I swear, Alpha Asshole, if your son has hurt my daughter, you won¡¯t be leaving this damn room,¡± Macey spits at him while Zoe tries to calm her down. ¡°He is nice,¡± I raise an eyebrow at Zoe. ¡°Well, he is to me, and I don¡¯t think he would hurt our kids, I spent all damn morning with him, and he only wanted to help with his son,¡± Zoe exins. ¡°My son would never hurt a child. Tell me one article you have read where he has injured a kid, leave him be; he will just take them out or bring them back if he can¡¯t handle them,¡± Kalen offers Macey. ¡°And you?¡± ¡°He was upset the teacher is a stoner, nothing malicious,¡± I answer. Macey looked between us all, and I could hear her heart racing in her chest. She closes her eyes and sucks in a deep breath. ¡°Sorry, it feels weird. Besides these two, the only ones that I leave Taylor with are my mother and brother, ¡° ¡°Can never be too careful, but my son means well, ¡± Kalen says before looking at me. I bite my lip. What was his game? I dial Vrian¡¯s teacher¡¯s number. ¡°Hello, Ms. Summers, ¡° ¡°Yes, it is fine for Vrian to take the kids,¡± ¡°Ms. Summers, I can¡¯t allow him to take her,¡± ¡°Macey and Zoe are right here. I will put Macey on, ¡° ¡°I already rang the school on the walk over,¡± Zoe says, and I nod. ¡°And Zoe already rang the front office,¡± ¡°Oh, oh right, well, put Ms. Aldrene on then, ¡± I hand the phone to Macey, who snatches it up and allows him to remove Taylor from ss before demanding to speak to Valen. Kalen raised an eyebrow but remained quiet. ¡°Hello, ¡° ¡°Are you seriously kidnapping our kids? ¡°Well, if you don¡¯t like the schooling Mr. Sce do something about it. It is the only school here for rogue children, but I swear to god you try to take my daughter out of this City; you won¡¯t need to fear the Forsaken. Alpha or not, I will skin you alive and put you on ants nest,¡± ¡°Yes, I trust Everly and Zoe¡¯s judgment of you. Now put Taylor on. She will not go with a stranger,¡± Macey snaps at him. She quickly talks to her daughter before thrusting the phone in my direction and sighs, running her fingers through her hair before ncing at Kalen. ¡°Why is he here?¡± She suddenly asked, and Zoe turned her head to stare at him too. ¡°Just here to give Everly my wishes on the marking, ¡° ¡°More like force her hand, ¡± Macey mutters. Kalen stands up, and we all take a step back except Macey. I swear she was either sometimes stupid or just fearless. ¡°We can catch up againter,¡± Kalen says before nodding to the girls and taking his leave. ¡°What was that about?¡± ¡°I have no damn idea, just said to let Valen mark me, ¡± I shake my head andugh. Neither of them does, instead both eyeing the tissue in my hands. ¡°Maybe you should Everly, he,¡± ¡°No, I¡­no,¡± I repeat, remembering every time I had to feel him with other she-wolves, every damn night. How could everyone just expect me to forget? Chapter 43 Chapter 43 Alpha¡¯s Regret-My Luna Has A Son by Jessicahall Chapter 43 Valen POV Well, that was not what I expected as we left the Cinema. What the heck did I just sit through? It was damn kids musical with rainbow-colored trolls singing about rainbows and farting glitter. Marcus found the movie far more entertaining than he should have. I wanted to drill my own ears out, but the girls loved it, and Vrian red at the screen the entire time, not impressed. I was with my boy, definitely not my cup of tea. ¡°Will you stop sniffing her? You are creeping me out, ¡± I snap at Marcus as he ces Casey back in the car. She fell asleep towards the end of the movie. Marcus spent the IAST and had to carry her out. C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. ¡°I need to need to know the soap Everly and Casey¡¯s mother use. The smell makes my mouth water.¡± He says, sniffing her hair again. ¡°Or maybe it¡¯s her shampoo?¡± He says thoughtfully. ¡°There is something wrong with you, ¡± I tell him, and he growls at me, which makes Casey stir and jolt awake as he clips in her seatbelt before climbing into the passenger seat. Marcus started humming and singing along as Taylor belted out one of the songs from the movie. I raise an eyebrow at him. ?What? It¡¯s catchy, ¡± He says, bellowing out the song like he was auditioning for the voice. His hands moved like he was orchestrating the damn musical. We stopped at the traffic lights and nearly jumped out of my skin when he tried to hit some high note, and the girls in the back stuck their fingers in their ears while turning my head to look at him. ¡°What is wrong with you?¡± ¡°Do you think it has a soundtrack?¡± He asks. I was about to say no, not wanting to hear a single one of those prancing troll songs again when Casey leans forward between the seats. ¡°Yes, it has one on Spotify. You can d******d it. Mum d******ded it for me,¡± Marcus turns, blinking at her before a devious smile splits onto his face, and he hands his phone to her. ¡°No,¡± I tell him before suddenly Casey was using the voicemands on his phone, and next it was bloody ring through my car speakers. I growl while they all bop along to the lyrics I knew would be stuck in my head on repeat for the next few days. ¡± Right, that¡¯s it, I am dropping you home,¡± I tell Marcus, unable to take much more of him encouraging the girls to belt out each track. I pull up out the front, and he pouts. ¡°Out,¡± I tell him, and he turns, ruffling Vrian¡¯s hair, and he growls, trying to fix it. He then turns to the girls. ¡°Got any more movie rmendations,¡± ¡°Frozen, Frozen, ¡± They chanted. ¡°It has a singing snowman,¡± Casey tells him. ¡°It¡¯s a movie date, also. Ask your mother what soap she uses. I need to get me some that, ¡± He says, and Casey sniffs herself. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Your clothes, ¡± He says before reaching over and tugging on her braid. He sniffs it. ¡°Huh,¡± ¡°Maybe ask about which shampoo too?¡± ¡°Okay, weirdo, ¡± Casey says, and he jams his fingers in her underarm, making her giggle. ¡°What¡¯s that? Huh, what you call me?¡± ¡°Fine, fine, you¡¯re not weird,¡± She shrieks as he tickles her. ¡°That¡¯s right, I am awesoooommme, and way cooler than Mr. Cranky pants here,¡± He sings before punching my shoulder. Casey and Taylor giggle before he hops out. I shake my head, heading back to the Hotel. I now had to take Everly to the doctors. Even if that meant kicking and screaming she was going, I would toss her over my shoulder if needed and drag her ass out. Pulling up at the Hotel, Zoe was waiting out the front. I had messaged Everly when I left the Cinema to let her know I was on my way over, so I was a little peeved that she was waiting when her appointment was in fifteen minutes. Getting out of the car, Zoe was already at the door and retrieving her daughter before she unclips Vrian¡¯s belt before I had a chance to even get him out. ¡°Where is Everly?¡± I ask. ¡°In the kitchens helping the chef prepare for the dinner rush, Did they behave?¡± ¡°Yes, of course. Ah, Everly¡¯s appointment?¡± Zoe bites her lip before pointing toward the restaurant. ¡°I don¡¯t think she is going. She said she had to wait for an electrician, though Macey said she would handle it. Also, the dinner rush is approaching, and she has to sort out next week¡¯s rosters; we have a few off sick at the moment.¡± I m the door, which makes Zoe jump, and I didn¡¯t mean to startle her, but I was livid. I specifically told her what time, and she insisted on working rather than looking after her health. ¡°You right with Vrian for a few hours, ¡° ¡°Of course, he can help me in the children¡¯s ygroup,¡± ¡°Vrian sulks. ¡°Why can¡¯t Ie with you and mum?¡± He asks, and my heart twinged at his upset face. ¡°Because daddy is about to drag your mummy to the doctors kicking and screaming,¡± I tell him. ¡± But she said she would go? ¡± Vrian says. I sigh, and Zoe shrugs before grabbing both of their hands. ¡°Good luck,¡± She called over her shoulder as I stalked toward the restaurant. I shoved the doors open before walking into the kitchen, and Everly was rushing around doing god knows what. ¡°Everly,¡± I called out to her, and she looked up. The entire kitchen stopped and looked over at me. ¡°Busy, not now, ¡± She says, turning back to her task of helping the chef. ¡°Nope, ¡± I growl, knowing she was nning on ignoring me. I walk over to the steel table she was stationed at before grabbing the knife from her hand. I could see the wide-eyed kitchen hands looking at me, but she was going. It wasn¡¯t up for discussion. ¡°What do you think you are doing?¡± She snapped at me, trying to reach for the knife I pried from her grip. I toss it in the sink. ¡°You have an appointment, ¡° ¡°Rebook, I am busy,¡± She growls, and if looks could kill, she would have turned me to dust. Good thing they don¡¯t. I growl back at her before grabbing her around the waist as she went to reach for another knife from the block before tossing her over my shoulder. ¡°Valen, stop,¡± She shrieks before punching my back as I start walking out. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare; this is humiliating. I work here, put me down, ¡° Are you going to walk?¡± ¡°I told you I am busy; we are down three people today, ¡° ¡°Wrong answer, ¡± I tell her before stalking out into the restaurant. Luckily it wasn¡¯t filled for her, and I wouldn¡¯t have cared if it was. ¡°I¡¯ll walk, I will god damn walk, ¡± I ignore her, shoving the door open and honestly enjoying the view of her ass in my face; if only she were sitting on it. ¡°Valen, stop. I said I would walk, ¡° ¡°Nope, I don¡¯t trust you,¡± I tell her, walking toward my car when I feel her teeth sink into my back. ¡°Ah, you bloody cannibal,¡± I snap at her before biting her ass. I must say I enjoyed her shriek more than I should as she rubbed her plump ass. I swat her hand away, wanting to rub it myself, which earned me a growl as I ran my hand over her butt. ¡°Don¡¯t bite unless you want to be bitten back,¡± I tell her as I open my car door. ¡°I can feel it bruising, ¡± She snarls before I deposit her in the passenger seat. I m the door and point at her through the ss. ¡°Move, and I will put you over my knee if I have to,¡± I warned her. She looked at me before realizing what I said, and the look of horror on her face wasical. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t, ¡° ¡± I would,¡± I tell her before opening her door again. ¡°Go on, run and find out Everly, ¡± I dare her, and she looked like she was seriously considering it. I plug her seatbelt in when she folds her arms across her chest and res out the windshield. ¡± Good choice, I spank hard, ¡± I tell her pecking her cheek and side of her mouth. ¡°You are crossing the line, Valen Sce, ¡° ¡°And you are getting on myst damn nerve. Do I need to make you pinky promise from now on?¡± She rolls her eyes, and I shut the door before climbing into the driver¡¯s seat. ¡°Wait, where is Vrian, ¡± ¡°Zoe,¡± I answer, starting the car. ¡°By the way, we are going to registry tomorrow. I am changing hisst name, ¡° ¡°Like hell you are,¡± ¡°Hyphenate it then. Either way, he is getting my name,¡± I tell her, pulling out of the car park. She never bothered arguing after that and remained quiet. When I pulled up at the Hotel, she looked at me. ¡°I thought we were going to an appointment?¡± ¡°We are. The pack doctor ising here, ¡± I tell her, and she res at me. ¡°No,¡± ¡°Suit yourself, ¡± I tell her getting out and walking around to open her door. ¡°Which is it, Everly, I carry you or you walk,¡± her canines slip out, and her eyes zed with her fury. ¡°I will walk,¡± She snaps before getting out and mming my door. She stalks off toward the entrance. Chapter 44 Chapter 44 ¡°And you have been getting nosebleeds how long? ¡° Doctor Pat asks. ¡°Awhile, ¡± She answers. She kicked up a huge fuss when I refused to leave, and I was curious as to why so had refused to leave the room, and she only gave vague answers whenever he asked any questions, which was beginning to annoy me. ¡°Answer his questions, ¡± I snap her. Forcing my aura out over her and she shudders before blurting out an answer. ¡°4 years,¡± ¡°Did she have any resistance to your aura? She answered rather quickly,¡± Doc asked, and I could see the concern in his eyes as he peered down at her. I shake my head; I barely used my aura, Vrian would have been able to fight what I just used, but there was no resistance like her own didn¡¯t exist at all. ¡°Her blood pressure is low, very low. She is also underweight, ¡± The doctor says, looking over the top of his clipboard at me. He had been running tests non-stop while his assistant took notes. ¡°What about unusual bruising? ¡± He asks, and she shakes her head. I shove my aura out. She growls and jolts in her seat. ¡°Yes,¡± She spat through gritted teeth before ring at me. ¡°Any at the moment?¡± I raised an eyebrow at her about to use my aura before she blurted an answer before I had to. ¡°Yes, my ribs, ¡± ¡°Can I see?¡± ¡°I would rather you don¡¯t, ¡° ¡°Everly, remove your shirt, or I will do it for you, ¡± I warn her. ¡°Can¡¯t you make him leave? What about confidentiality, or is that not practiced in this pack, ¡± She spits at the doctor. ¡°You are his mate. He has every right to be here being the Alpha. I am sorry, Luna,¡± ¡°I am not your damn Luna, ¡± She says, and I growl at her. Everly rolls her eyes before tugging her shirt off, but I was not expecting to see her so purple and blue. Her skin across her ribs looked like she had been beaten. Red and purple blotches covered her ribs and back. ¡± See, must be low iron, see just my ribs,¡± She says before she starts to pull her shirt on. I snatched it from her, standing up and spinning her to the doctor, who also gasped. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Your back is worse than your ribs, ¡± I snap at her, and she looks under her arms, twisting, trying to see. ¡°This bruisinges and goes?¡± She doesn¡¯t answer to busy inspecting herself. ¡°Pardon?¡± She asked, looking up at the doctor. ¡°Does the bruising remain, ore and go?¡± She chewed her lip nervously. ¡± Everly?¡± I asked. Her tongue pokes the side of her cheek, and she looks at the ceiling for a second. ¡°It stays,¡± she murmurs before looking at the doctor who was actually looking at me. I was confused. C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. ¡°What?¡± I ask, and Everly hastily tugs her top on covering herself. ¡°It¡¯s infidelity markings; the more people the mate is with, the more it affects the bond, ¡° ¡°I haven¡¯t been with anyone since finding her,¡± I tell him. ¡°That may be so, but how many have you been with since Everly knew you were her mate?¡± he looks at Everly in question. ¡°I have known he was my mate for just over four years now, ¡± She answers, and my stomach drops. I knew that, but to count that many times I had sex? I swallowed, looking at the doctor. ¡°Those are from me?¡± I ask, and the doctor nods. ¡°They are called a taint or infidelity marks. Every time you are with someone, it taints the bond. Everly is your bond. Therefore, it taints her. They are apparently quite painful, but if it has been four years, she probably has a good pain threshold of it now, be more like a normal bruise, except it scars the bond,¡± ¡°But it will go away, right?¡± I ask, not wanting to be the me for her remaining permanently disfigured like that. ¡°Yes, after a while, quicker if you mark her, as long as you remain only with her, of course,¡± He leans forward and pauses, bracing his hands on his knees and sighs. ¡°Your bond is toxic, and it is essentially poisoning her and eventually. Please don¡¯t take this the wrong way, Alpha, but you have been with a lot of women for her body to be deteriorating at such a rate, most of the time this the reaction of a rejected bond and in the advanced stages, ¡° ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡± She is dying Alpha, at this rate, it could only be a couple of years, especially if you remain sleeping with other women. You will kill the bond and, in turn, kill her,¡± Everly gasps. ¡°Wait, but people live like this for decades, not years, I..¡± She nces at me. ¡°I have researched it,¡± She states. ¡°Yes, but you are rogue and also young. I haven¡¯t seen this sort of deterioration in a patient before. Given Alpha Valens reputation with other women, I am afraid you are deteriorating quicker than most I have seen, which exins yourck of aura, also all your other symptoms,¡± ¡°So, how do we fix it?¡± ¡°You mark and mate her. Remain close to build the bond. Bonds are fragile, Alpha. They are supposed to be taken care of, not abused, ¡± He says, ncing away. It was like being punched in the gut. So I did this? I did all of this? I nod, but Everly was shaking her head. ¡°No, we will find another way,¡± Everly says. ¡°There is no other way, I am marking you, and that is final, ¡± Doc clears his throat, and I look over at him. ¡°May I make a suggestion?¡± ¡°Yes, please,¡± Everly says and huffs. ¡°I understand, Everly, you don¡¯t want him to mark you. That is, unfortunately, the bond. It hurts; I get it. I get that betrayal is unforgivable, and you have been living with this a long time clearly,¡± What the f*ck was he doing? Doc looks at me before frowning. ¡°Maybe if you mark him until you arefortable epting the bond, it will help strengthen it and slow it down, but eventually, he will have to mark you,¡± ¡°No, I will just mark her and be done with it,¡± ¡°Alpha, I don¡¯t rmend forcefully marking her. You need to understand that you doing that could hurt her more,¡± ¡°But you just said, ¡± He scrubs a hand down his face. ¡°I know what I said, but your bond has been weakened. Unless Everly wants you to mark her, you could make her worse. You need to remember you being with another woman was basically like rejecting her repeatedly. The bond is damaged. You need to repair it before forcefully marking her. You marking her will not only make her hate you but may shock her system,¡± ¡°What if she never lets me mark her?¡± ¡°We will cross that bridge when wee to it. I would like to rebook for a month¡¯s time, ¡± He says, and I nod while Everly also nods, to which I was relieved she would agree. Maybe hearing this may have scared her. It petrified me. I just found her and may lose her all because I was an idiot. I made myself feel sick. I rebooked her appointment and saw them out while Everly waited in the living room. When I came back out, she was staring out the window. ¡°Everly, ¡± She nods, turning around before walking toward me. ¡°We should head back, ¡± She states, about to move past me when I grab her. ¡°We need to get back, ¡± She says though she looks on the verge of tears. ¡°I know you hate me, but please, just mark me,¡± ¡°I will think about it,e on,¡± She tries to step away, but I shove her, pressing her against the wall. She struggled, trying to push me away. ¡°I know I did this. Let me fix it,¡± I snap at her. ¡°Valen, ¡± She growls, which was more like a purr than any threat. ¡°No, you aren¡¯t leaving my apartment until you mark me. Stop being stubborn. I know I f*cked up but don¡¯t let me be the reason you die. Think of Vrian, hate me but f*cking me mark me, don¡¯t kill yourself because of me,¡± I scream at her before shoving my aura over her. I used a little too much, and she cowered away from me and my heart twisted painfully in my chest. I drop my aura before dropping my head on her shoulder. My breathing was heavy, along with my anger. However, it wasn¡¯t aimed at her but myself. ¡°Just take me home, ¡° ¡°You want me to beg? I will f*cking beg,¡± I told her before dropping on my knees. I didn¡¯t care how stupid it was; I would do it. Whatever she asked, I would do it. ¡°Please, if not for yourself. Do it for Vrian, don¡¯t leave him because of me, don¡¯t do that to our son,¡± I plead before it bes too much. I couldn¡¯t live with the guilt if I killed her. I couldn¡¯t. I bury my face in my hands. Utterly ashamed of what I caused her, I did this, I did this to her. I made her hate me. I ruined our bond. I couldn¡¯t remember the last time I cried, but this news was gut-wrenching. I couldn¡¯t take it, knowing I did this. The guilt weighed too heavily, and I knew I would never be able to live with myself if she died. I feel her fingers brush through my hair, making me nce up to see her eyes rimmed with tears. ¡°For Vrian, ¡± She whispers, and I nod. ¡°Please, ¡± I beg her, gripping her legs, and she nods before looking away. Chapter 45 Chapter 45 Everly POV I wasn¡¯t expecting the answer I received from the doctor; I wasn¡¯t even aware the bond could be damaged, Sure I was used to the pain, but to know he hurt our bond? Nothing felt lessened to me. I still felt for Valen despite not wanting to, still craved him despite hating everything about him. I just wanted to go home and snuggle my son, smell his scent and let him soothe my racing mind. Yet the way Valen looked at me, I could see his fear clearly etched onto his face. Could see how much the doctor¡¯s words scared him as he pressed his face into my neck. Valen finally understood the weight of actions, and I could tell the burden was heavy for him to carry. His grip on my arms was tight like he thought I was about to drop dead before his eyes. My heart twisted painfully in my chest with the way his voice cracked as he spoke.¡°You want me to beg? I will fucking beg,¡± Valen told me before dropping on his knees. He clutched my legs, and if the wall wasn¡¯t behind me, I would have toppled over. I could feel his warm breath caress over the skin under my blouse where it had ridden up. I felt the shake of his shoulders and knew he was falling apart. I know I shouldn¡¯t feel bad for him after everything he had done, and maybe it was the bond, but the way spoke told me he knew the pain of losing a mother even if he didn¡¯t know her. I wondered what sort of man he would be if she raised him. Would he be the mate I needed him to be, the father he needed to be for our son? Most of all, I wondered If I could ever forgive him, even if it was only for Vrian. ¡± Please, if not for yourself. Do it for Vrian, don¡¯ t leave him because of me, don¡¯t do that to our son,¡± He choked out, and before I could stop myself, I ran my fingers through his wanting to soothe the agony I could hear bleeding into his voice. ¡°For Vrian, ¡± I whispered, the words not sounding my own as I thought of my son. The person in this world that held all my broken pieces together, the child I carried to terin, the child I raised and loved. The one person who loved me back. ¡± Please, ¡± Valerian begs, and I nced down at him to see him staring up at me. I tear my gaze away. I promised myself I could do it on my own, and I felt like doing this meant I was giving in, tossing everything I worked hard for away. But I wouldn¡¯t toss my life away. I could not bear the thought of Vrian being in this world alone without me. ¡°Everly?¡± Valen whispered, and I looked down at the man on his knees, hanging onto me like he could somehow put me back together if he squeezed hard enough. I watched his eyes brim with tears, and my hand moved from his hair to cup his face on instinct. His stubble was rough against my palm, and I brushed a stray tear as he blinked, and it careened over. ¡°I¡¯ll do anything, but don¡¯t make him grow up without a mum, ¡± Valen whispered, and his lip quivered as he leaned into my hand before kissing my palm, sparks danced across it, and I bit my lip and looked away from the broken man before me. ¡°I mark you, that doesn¡¯t mean you own me, and you don¡¯t force my hand,¡± ¡°I promise, ¡± He says, pulling away and I snort, my own tears spilling when I look back down, and he is holding out his pinky. ¡°I¡¯ll even pinky promise,¡± ¡°You know you can¡¯t break one of those. They are sacred, ¡± I chuckle. He nods before standing, and I look up at him. ¡°You won¡¯t use your Alpha voice on me. You won¡¯t mark me unless I let you,¡± I ask him, but he shakes his head. ¡°I won¡¯t promise not to mark you, I won¡¯t watch you wither away because you are too stubborn, I won¡¯t let you get to that point Everly, so don¡¯t ask me to promise you that, ask for anything else but that,¡± ¡°But if I mark you, you can just turn around and do the same,¡± I tell him. ¡°I won¡¯t. I can promise you not today, though?¡± he asked, and I sighed. He holds his pinky up and wiggles it, and I roll my eyes. ¡°I promise to make it up to you; I promise to not use my Alpha voice on you anymore if you promise to mark me before we leave this apartment, ¡± I chewed my lip while considering what to do, but he was right, I would be killing myself out of stubbornness if I refused. And if I refused, he would probably mark me anyway and take his chances. ¡± Everly?¡± Valen said, pressing closer , so his chest pressed against mine. He held his pinky up, and I felt my lips try to tug in the corners over the silly little thing I had with Vrian. ¡°Okay, ¡± I tell him, gripping it with mine. Valen lets out a breath and dips his face toward mine and I press further into the wall I am caged against. His nose skims across my cheek to my ear. My heart thumps erratically in my chest at what I agreed to. ¡°Thank you,¡± he whispers next to my ear. His scent overwhelmed my senses, and I leaned into him, soaking up his scent and inhaling deeply. When I felt his hand slip into my hair. A shiver runs up my spine, and he turns his head, offering me his neck. ¡°Please, Everly, just im me. It can mean whatever you want it to mean. Just do it,¡± he murmurs, and I suck in a deep, shaky breath. I could do this, right, but at the same time, I hated giving him the wrong idea. Yet my mouth watered at his intoxicating scent, overwhelming the part of me that was denying him, and I felt my canines slip from my gums before sinking them into his neck. Valen gripped my hair and pressed so close I could feel every hard line of muscle that remained hidden beneath his shirt. My teeth sink in deeply, and warmth blooms in my chest before I feel the tether binding him to me snap in ce. Valen shudders against me, and his emotions in into me like he just pped me. Guilt, overwhelming guilt so strong I nearly choked on it. Yet also immense relief that I marked him. I wasn¡¯t sure what to think as my teeth pulled from his skin, and I ran my tongue across the mark, sealing it. Valen doesn¡¯t let me go. Instead, he leaned against me and pressed his weight against me; when he turned his face toward mine, he leaned down, pressing his forehead against mine. ¡°Now you own me,¡± he whispers before ncing at my blood-smeared lips. He moves his hand, cupping my face before brushing his thumb across my lip and wiping his blood off. ¡°Now you have my heart, and it¡¯s your choice whether or not you break it,¡± He said before pressing his lips to my cheek. ¡°But please don¡¯t, ¡± he murmurs, and I moved my hand to the center of his chest. I could feel his heart thumping beneath it rapidly like a hummingbird¡¯s wings fighting against stormy winds, and he sucked in a deep breath at my touch. ¡°Don¡¯t make me have to,¡± I tell him before looking away. Valen nods, dropping his head on my shoulder and inhaling my scent as he presses his face into the crook of my neck, and I had to fight the reaction my body had when his breath swept over where his mark should beid. Every part of me urged me toward him and made me want to curl up on hisp and let him hug away the five years of pain, let him fill the void that was caused by him. However, I knew that was the bond speaking and that his emotions were bleeding into me as if they were my own. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. ¡°We should get back to Vrian, ¡± I tell him, and he nods before stepping back. Chapter 46 Chapter 46 The drive back was quiet however, not awkward, just afortable silence. I believe me marking him suddenly made everything more real. It was, in a sense, easy to y off that he is my mate, easier to deny our bond or our weak one anyway. Now though, people would find out, the entire City would realize Valen had been marked, the paparazzi would go berserk, and I now I worried what that meant for Vrian. I could handle the drama¡¯s the media would portray. Vrian was a child and I knew once it was out, a lot of people would have something to say about it. Also, I could already imagine the rumors. People would believe. That he knocked up some rogue whore and was forced to take me as his mate, the things I could see them saying about me in papers would sting me but could damage my son. I was used to negativity, yet no child should have to deal with that. ¡°I think we should move the Alpha meeting, ¡± I whispered. I hated the idea of confronting my father, yet I knew it would be worse if he found out via a news article. I knew I should care what he believed after everything. I was an adult now, and he no longer controlled my life, but for some reason, it nagged at me. Some part believing that he shouldn¡¯t find out through a news outlet. ¡°You want to push it back? ¡± Valen asks. I shake my head. ¡°Move it forward. Once the media gets their hands on this story, it will blow up; it should be announced to stop it hurting Vrian.¡± ¡°Anyone says anything about our son Everly, and they won¡¯t have a city to live in,¡± ¡°You can¡¯t just kick people out of City; that is not the answer, Valen, and that is not what I am worried about,¡± ¡°Then what are you worried about?¡± ¡°Worried about what version of our strange¡­ whatever.¡± I sigh, rubbing my temples before looking at him. ¡°They are going to say some horrible shit about you being with a rogue whore, Vrian has only just found about you, well about who you are, and I worry that what they say about both of us will have an impact on him,¡± ¡°Then I tell them the truth, simple,¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that simple. You have a reputation to uphold in this City Valen, one that holds power,¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care about my reputation Everly, they can say what they want about me, they do anyway. But If you think I am going to let you take the fall for all it, you are mistaken,¡± ¡°They will say I am gold digger, someone who trapped you, probably even say Vrian isn¡¯t yours,¡± ¡°That they can¡¯t say, you can tell by his aura, plus DNA will shut them up,¡± ¡°My father is going to lose his mid,¡± I mutter, shaking my head. ¡°Surprisingly, my father took it pretty well, ¡± Valen adds, making me think of Kalen and my meeting with him earlier, ¡° ¡°I saw your father earlier today, ¡± I admit looking back out the window. ¡°Did he threaten you if he did tell me? I will handle it,¡± Valen says. ¡°You would really go against your father for a rogue? ¡°For you and Vrian, I would go against the entire world if needed, ¡± Valen says, and I chew my lip. I could feel he meant what he said. Feeling him made his words hold more meaning and I didn¡¯t know what to think about him. He could lie through words, but not through the bond, so to feel that he meant exactly what he said kind of threw me off. ¡°He didn¡¯t threaten me. He told me to let you mark me,¡± He chuckles. ¡°Yeah, he is a good father, strict, but he means well, mostly, ¡° ¡°Is that why he tried to get you to marry my sister, ¡° ¡°No, idea what he meant by that. He has hated your father for decades. It makes no sense to me, ¡± Valen admits, and I could feel his worry through the bond, making me realize he too noticed his father¡¯s change in attitude. ¡°Are you worried about your father finding out?¡± Valen asks as we pull into the hotel parking space. He stops the car. ¡°Yes, and no. I will be relieved I don¡¯t have to keep it a secret, but also scared of everyone¡¯s reaction, ¡° ¡°Why didn¡¯t you just tell him, ¡± I raise an eyebrow at him and heughs. ¡°Yeah, that was a dumb question, ¡± he adds. ¡°Do you think he would have kicked you out if he knew?¡± ¡°I have thought of that actually, thought about telling him, especially once I found out you were in fact, my mate,¡± ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you. Would have saved you being homeless, ¡° ¡°Your father was not the only one that worries about his reputation, Valen. When he found out I was pregnant, he tried to get the doctor to abort him, sweep it under the rug so no one would know and I could still take my ce as Alpha. Like Vrian was some dirty secret, ¡± Valen growls at my words and his knuckles turn white as he grips the steering wheel. ¡°I couldn¡¯t do it, so he kicked me out. I believe the reaction would have been the same or worse if he knew you were his father, ¡° ¡°You think he would have pinned you down and made you abort if he knew?¡± ¡°No, I believe he would have killed me ore after our son once he was born to use a tool against you. I couldn¡¯t allow that,¡± N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. ¡°And now, what¡¯s changed, ¡° ¡°He has you. I know you will keep him safe, ¡± I admit. I could tell just by his reaction to having a son. Zoe said it herself too. She knewValen¡¯s intentions were good, unlike some we hade across over the years. ¡°Can I ask how you came into the possession of a hotel, being rogue,¡± Valen asks, looking out at the ce I called home, my vige. I loved this ce, not just because of what it had given us but because of where it came from and the history behind it. ¡°It was given to Vrian and me. We inherited it¡± ¡°By your grandparents?¡± ¡°No, by the woman who owned it, when you kicked me out of the packhouse, I went home or tried to anyway. Dad was gracious enough to let Vrian in the house after my mother begged him because it was raining, the next morning, dad tossed some money at me, and he said he never wanted to see me again, that I was causing problems between him and mum, so I went back to my car. Grabbed a few things walked here and met a woman,¡± I told him. I looked over at the doors where the main front counter was. I could still picture her clearly like it were yesterday. Vrie sitting out the front with a smoke between her lips, rough as guts but with a heart of gold, she was a tough woman, a remarkable woman. ¡°I thought she was someone staying at the Hotel, ¡± I chuckle. ¡°She was rogue also. She gave us a fresh start, offered me a job, paid for my schooling, she gave me hope. Then when she died, she left it all to me,¡± ¡°Is that how you met Zoe and Macey?¡± ¡°No, I met them at the maternity ward. When I was given the job we needed help to clean it up, the ce was a dump, she gave them jobs too, said we would build our own vige that family is what you make, so once it was running and I found out about it inheriting it, that¡¯s what I did, I built our vige, our vige of rogues.¡± ¡°I guess I owe her one. She seemed like a good woman, ¡° ¡°She was; I could only dream of being half the woman she was. No words could describe how great she was,¡± ¡°Have you got pictures of what it looked like before? I honestly never knew the ce existed, ¡± Valen laughs. ¡°You want to see?¡± Iugh before opening the door. ¡°Come, I will show you,¡± I tell him. Valen hops out of the car before locking it and follows me toward the front entrance. Walking in, the bell sounds and the secretary looks up. ¡°Coffee?¡± ¡°No, we are fine, Jenny. Shouldn¡¯t you be knocked off?¡± I ask her, knowing Emily should have been in for the afternoon shift. ¡°I knocked off an hour ago, Emily never showed, and I have been trying her cell but no answer,¡± That was very unlike Emily. She never missed a shift. ¡°She may havee down with that bug that¡¯s going around, ¡± Jenny tells me. I nod. ¡°Knock off. I will handle the front desk until I can find someone toe in,¡± ¡± Actually, I don¡¯t mind. I could use the overtime if that is alright?¡± I turn to face her, and she looks down, fiddling with her fingers. ¡°Your son?¡± She nods her head. Jenny was in her fifties and had a son, who was constantly in trouble, especially with the police, and she managed to get him into rehab a few weeks ago, making me wonder what was going on. With everything going ontely, I hadn¡¯t had a chance to ask how he was doing. He sometimes helped the gardeners here and the handy- woman. ¡°Everything alright?¡± I ask her. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s fine, ¡± she answered too quickly. ¡°Jenny?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t want to ask because you bailed him outst month already, and I still owe you for that,¡± ¡°You don¡¯t owe me anything, so what has he done now? You know we have emergency funds for staff, its there to be used, to help when someone gets stuck, ¡° Her eyes dart to Valen for a second, and Ipletely forgot he was still behind me. I nced back at him, and he looked at me. ¡°Nothing, he is doing great actually, but the hospital is making him leave,¡± ¡°I thought it was a three-month program?¡± ¡°It was supposed to be, but he isn¡¯t a priority on the waiting list,¡± ¡°But if he already got in, he should be fine to stay. I am assuming you are talking about some rehab facility or medical facility? ¡± Valen answers behind me. She looks at him for a second before looking at me. She then does a double-take of Valen, her eyes zeroing in on the mark on his neck. It was no secret in the Hotel that Valen was my mate, yet we rogue stuck together, and I suddenly worried what the other woman would think. I knew they would be happy I had a mate but hoped they didn¡¯t think they still couldn¡¯te to me. ¡°You marked him?¡± she asks. Chapter 47 Chapter 47 ¡°Yes, but it can¡¯t get out at the moment, now don¡¯t change the subject. What do you need?¡± ¡°They are kicking him out unless he is a paying patient. They said they haven¡¯t got the beds for a rogue, ¡± She answers. Bullshit, it¡¯s only at half capacity, ¡± Valen growls behind me. Jenny looks down. ¡°It¡¯s because his Rogue Valen, no one helps rogues, you should have seen us getting this ce running. We couldn¡¯t even get a handyman in without ckmailing them, ¡± I tell him and he seemed appalled at my words. Considering who his father was, he didn¡¯t seem to hold the same views of rogues, well, at least not as strongly. ¡°How much?¡± I ask her, knowing how hard she tried to get him in there. " She breathes before rubbing both hands down her face. ¡°Use the funds. It¡¯s what it is for. When he gets out, he cane work at the hotel for a bit,¡± I tell her. Knowing that was a big chunk out of the emergency rogue funds, not that anyone wouldin, it¡¯s what it is for. ¡± Don¡¯t worry about it. I will handle it, ¡± Valen says behind me. ¡°It¡¯s fine, Valen. We have the money here, ¡° ¡°I don¡¯t care about the money. They gave him a ce there. If he is doing well and not causing trouble, they have no reason to kick him out, that ce relies heavily on donations and tax payer¡¯s money. I¡¯m assuming it¡¯s the main hospital since rogues can¡¯t use the private ones, ¡± She nods. ¡°I will take care of it, if not. I will ce him in one of the private ones if they kick up a stink, but they won¡¯t. My pack funds half of that hospital, ¡± Valen tells her with a shrug. ¡± But I will need his information, ¡± Valen tells her, and she looks around her desk before grabbing a sticky note and writing his name and dob on it and address. She hands it to him, and Valen folds it cing it in his pocket. ¡°Are you sure, we a have fund for this sort of stuff?¡± I tell him. ¡°Positive, but I would like to know more about this fund you have for your employees, ¡± he answers. ¡°Thank you, Alpha,¡± Jenny nods, and I see her shoulders rx like a tonne of weight had just been lifted off her shoulders. ¡± Go home, Jenny, rest,¡± I tell her, but she shakes her head. ¡°I am good until you find someone to take over, ¡± She says just as Tatum walks in. The bell sounds, and I nce over at the door. ¡°Ah, just the man I want to see, ¡± Valen says, and Tatum raises an eyebrow at him. ¡°Ah, yeah. Didn¡¯t you want me to keep watch again?¡± Tatum asks him, unsure. ¡°Nope, change of ns, I will tonight, but I have another job for you, ¡± He motions toward the desk. ¡°You want me to move it?¡± Tatum asks, confused. ¡°Nope. I want you to man it. Everly is down a staff member, ¡° ¡°What?¡± Tatum asks before staring at Jenny. ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t think that is a good idea, ¡° ¡°Are you saying I can¡¯t answer some phones and work the front desk?¡± Tatum asks like I just insulted his intelligence. ¡°It¡¯s more than answering phones,¡± I tell him. ¡± Can¡¯t be that hard,¡± Tatum says, walking around the desk. Jenny looks up at him wide-eyed before looking at me. ¡°See, he can handle it,¡± Valen says. Why could I tell this was a bad idea. I pinch the bridge of my nose and shake my head. ¡°Valen, he is a security guard, not a secretary, ¡± I exin. ¡°See, killed two birds with one stone, he is now guard and can do whatever Jenny was doing,¡± ¡°This is a bad idea; I am sure I can find someone else, ¡°Nonsense, Jenny will show him, and you can show me these photos,¡± Valen says, nudging me toward my office out the back. I nce at Jenny, and she shrugs before getting up. Tatum takes her seat, and she starts exining things to him and how to use the different phones. With a heavy sigh, I give in, though he would definitely be the most buff secretary we have had manning the counter. He looked out of ce behind the desk with its pink stationery. Unlocking my office door, I step in and move to one of the bookcases grabbing down the Hotel photo album. I sit at my desk, and Valenes over to stand beside me. Opening the front page, there was an old ck and white photo of Vrie¡¯s parents from when they owned it. I pull it out and pass it to him. In the photo were a man and a woman holding a baby, which Vrie said was her. ¡°That doesn¡¯t look too bad?¡± Valen states and I snort before flicking through to when I first came here and the photos Zoe and I took. I passed them to him before also grabbing one out Macey¡¯s brother took of us facing the ruined hotel with our backs to the camera. All four of us standing out the front. Vrie was also in it, cigarette between her fingers at she looked at the rundown ce. I hand it to him. ¡°This the woman?¡± He asks, and I nod. ¡°And Macey, Zoe,¡± he says. ¡°So you all started it together. The ce looked like a dump, ¡± He states. ¡°It was, ¡° ¡°So the four of you did all this?¡± he asked, sounding incredulous. ¡°Yep, four rogue -whores and three babies restored this entire ce, ¡± I tell him. ¡°Who took the photo, ¡± ¡°Macey brother, ¡° ¡°He didn¡¯t help?¡± I raise an eyebrow at him. ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± ¡°Nothing, just four women, fixed all of this,¡± ¡°We may be women, but we are resourceful. Besides, Macey is more manly than her brother. She fights like a guy too, so stay on her good side,¡± Heughs, handing them back. ¡°Noted, she definitely looks like a scrapper, ¡° ¡°Oh, she is. I watched her beat a man with a zo kg bag of flour once. She hauled it around like it weighed nothing,¡± ¡°What he do?¡± ¡°He asked her how much?¡± ¡°How much for what?¡± ¡°How much for a night Valen, he thought because she was a rogue, she was prostitute, that was when we first opened up. It was a bit of shock when they found the ce was run entirely by rogues. We ended up with a few creeps in at first, ¡° ¡°So how did you handle that,¡± ¡°A few of the olderdies started bringing their sons in for the night shifts. Day shifts were easier. Macey would turf anyone that looked at us wrong, ¡± Iugh. ¡°Come on, we should check Vrian and give Zoe a break, ¡± I tell him, and he follows me through the hotel to the apartment. I was stopped a few times by different staff, and by the time I got back to the apartment, it was dark. Walking in, Zoe was doing puzzles with the kids. She smiled as she nced over the back of the couch at me before her eyes narrowed on Valen and her lip pulled over her teeth. She stood abruptly, pointing a n using finger at him before remembering the kids were in the room. I had no idea why she was mad, but I could tell she was livid about something. She stepped over the kids and moved toward him. Valen,pletely unaware of her anger, says hello to her when she opens the door behind him and shoves him out, mming it shut behind her. I moved to the kitchen window and peered out, and Valen had his hands in the air. I cracked the window open a little to eavesdrop. ¡°You keep your creepy sniffing friend away from my daughter,¡± she snarls. I nce at Casey, wondering what happened. Valerian looks up at me. ¡°Aunty Zoe is upset because we asked what shampoo and washing liquid she used,¡± Vrian exined, which only made me more confused. ¡°You tell him to jeep his sniffer away from my daughter, ¡° ¡°He just liked the soap you use,¡± Valen tried to exin. ¡°Casey said he sniffed her repeatedly, ¡± Casey growls at him. ¡°I will speak to him, but it was nothing bad. He just said the soap smells nice, geez,¡± ¡± It¡¯s fucking creepy. You don¡¯t go around sniffing peoples kids, if that don¡¯t set off rm bells in your head, nothing will,¡± ¡°My beta is not a creep. He would never harm your daughter Zoe,¡± Valen defends Marcus. ¡°Keep him away from my daughter, ¡± Zoe huffs before going back to the door. She steps in and straightens her clothes, going back to the kids like nothing happened. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Valen stepped in, looking awkward as hell but the tension left the moment Vrian spotted him and jumped up off the floor. ¡± Dad! ¡± he squealed, rushing over and Valen caught him and picked him up, kissing his cheek and hugging him tightly. ¡°I missed you, ¡± Valerian gushes, squeezing tight. ¡°I missed you too,¡± Valen tells him before setting him on his feet. Zoe watches them, and I noticed Casey did too before looking up at her mother and snuggling against her. It must be hard seeing Vrian with his father. Casey saw hers but usually only for s minutes when he would stop in randomly before telling her some lie about needing to go to work. Yet she hadn¡¯t seen him since Officer Richards found out. ¡°Are you staying for dinner? One of the chefs sent up stuffed capsicums, you¡¯ll like those, ¡° ¡°There is plenty there. She always sends up too much,¡± Zoe says. Having calmed down, her eyes dart to Valen¡¯s neck, and she raises an eyebrow at me before smiling. Of course, she would be happy. I look at her when Valen speaks. ¡°I was hoping to stay the night. Tatum is ying secretary in your foyer, and since Marcus is definitely off the table now?¡± Valen says, looking at me. ¡°You can stay for dinner, but we don¡¯t need a guard, ¡°Please, mum, he can sleep in my bed; I¡¯ll share with him,¡± Vrian whines. I tell him. ¡°That¡¯s not necessary, Val. We have a couch, but your father has,¡± I stop knowing he admitted to wanting to stay, proving he has nothing better to do. ¡°One night, and only one, Vrian, ¡± I tell him before also looking at his father, so he knows not to ask for a second night. ¡°Ah, see, I get to stay for the night,¡± Valen tells him while Vrian tugged on his hand, dragging him towards his puzzle. Chapter 48 Chapter 48 It was strange having Valen under my roof, awkward. Everything I usually did for Vrian, he suddenly asked his dad to do. Like cut up his food, I was suddenly no longer needed; he asked for his father when it was his bath time. Most of my afternoon was spent twiddling my thumbs since I only had to heat dinner up. Yet Valen never onceined and seemed to enjoy his son¡¯s constant attention. Even as I went to put Vrian to bed, he asked if his father could tuck him in, I know it was childish, but nights were the only time I got to spend with him, really, so it bothered me more than it should. I was so used to juggling things between Zoe and me that it felt unnatural having someone willingly helping us, ruining our usual routine, I suddenly had time on my hands, and I wasn¡¯t sure how I felt about that. Once Vrian was tucked in bed, Valen returned to the living room. He scratched the back of his neck before looking at the empty spot beside me on the couch. I rolled my eyes before moving over, and he smiled beforeing to sit next to me and draping his arm across the back of it. ¡°Finally, Casey is down for the night,¡± Zoe says,ing out in her pajamas while braiding her hair. I had always been envious of how she could do that, I had tried and ended up only making a knotted mess, yet she did it so effortlessly. Zoees over and sits down on one of the kids¡¯ bean bags, the bag almost swallowing her petite frame as she sinks in it. ¡°I¡¯m so damn tired, ¡± she yawns, covering her mouth with her hand. ¡°Ah, and tomorrow will be worse. We are down three staff in the kitchens, one in the creche ygroup. Two waitresses and have a full house,¡± Zoe sighs. ¡°Emily must also have the bug. She never showed up for work tonight, ¡± I tell her, getting up off the couch and walking over to the bookcase for my folder. ¡°I already checked the rosters for tomorrow,¡± Zoe tells me. I sat back down with the folder going to the events diary. ¡°I know, we will have to manage. I can work the lunch and night rush if you can handle the kids in the morning, ¡° ¡± Sounds like a n. I will wake you at eleven. If we are still down the next day, we can swap. Macey already pulled doubles two days in a row, ¡± she says, and I nod. Zoe nces at the diary, ¡°What are you looking for?¡± ¡°We need to find a date to move the Alpha meeting forward, ¡± I tell her, but the earliest date I could make work would be one week head, so instead of three weeks, it would be two. ¡°The lzth?¡± I ask him, and he looks over my shoulder, flicking through the pages before scrubbing his hand down his face. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with thising Friday? ¡± he asks while looking at the empty slot. ¡°That¡¯s six days away, it wouldn¡¯t be enough notice, and I am not sure I can get supplies in early enough, ¡± I tell him. ¡°Get what you can in. The rest I will organize from one of my Hotels and have it sent over. You still want to announce it, right?¡± I nod best to get it over and done with. ¡°Then it has to be the sixth, I can go unseen for a few days, but two weeks, two weeks, the media will come looking for me, ¡± He tells me, and I sighed but nodded. ¡°Though I am a little shocked it has stayed under wraps already, I am surprised one of your staff haven¡¯t sold the story yet,¡± He says, and Zoe res at him. ¡°They aren¡¯t staff; they are family, we are all family, we stick together, ¡± She says, and Valen sticks his hands up in the air in surrender. ¡°Settle down; you and Macey are the most aggressive rogues I have ever met, geez, ¡± he says. ¡°Sorry, I am just overtired, ¡± She rubbed her eyes before reaching over and grabbing Casey¡¯s school jumper off the ground. I also yawned, my eyes feeling like sandpaper, and I regretted taking my pills earlier now that I had to do some nning. ¡°Shit, I forgot to wash it,¡± Zoe groans. ¡°Grab one of Vrian¡¯s out for tomorrow,¡± I tell her, and she nods before sniffing it. Her brows pinch together before she suddenly buries her face in it. ¡°What is that? Gosh, it smells good. I want to eat it,¡± she says to no one in particr. Valen raises an eyebrow at her and twirls his finger beside his head, and I chuckle when he mutters, ¡°cuckoo.¡± ¡°What? You smell it then,¡± she snarls, tossing it at his head. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want to offend you by sniffing your daughter¡¯s jumper,¡± he mocks, and she rolls her eyes. Valen sniffs it before pulling a face. ¡°Ah, yuck. I can¡¯t smell anything but Marcus; thanks for making me get a whiff of my Beta, ¡± he says, shaking his head. ¡°You can¡¯t smell it,¡± Zoe asks. ¡°Yeah, I can smell it. It bloody reeks of him, ¡± Valen says, rubbing his nose. I take it from him and sniff it. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Yep, definitely your Beta, ¡± I tell him. Zoe rubs a hand down her face. ¡°I must be more tired than I thought. I thought I could smell vani bean and fudge,¡± she pouts for a second. ¡± Now I want vani bean and fudge, ¡± she mutters unhappily. ¡°Cravings, are you sure you are not pregnant?¡± Valenughs. Zoe looks at him, appalled. Not unless I am giving birth to baby batteries or a baby bunny vibrator, ¡± She spits at him. I chuckled at her while Valen just blinked, shocked at what she said. ¡°Go to bed. I will fill out the order forms, ¡± I tell her whileughing. She nods, yawning as she gets to her feet before moving off to her bedroom, muttering about finding some vani fudge tomorrow. Night, Zoe,¡± Valen chuckles, and she flips him off over her shoulder before disappearing down the hall. ¡± She is definitely my favorite out of your friends,¡± Valen states. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Macey?¡± ¡°Ah, she threatened to castrate me and put me on an ants nest. Tell me what is right with that one. Who says that, let alone thinks of something like that?¡± Iugh before looking over at the table. ¡°Tatum dropped some clothes off for you while you put Vrian to bed. They are on the table,¡± I tell him before reaching over to the coffee and grabbing a pen from the drawer. I sit back, pulling the order forms out to fax off tomorrow. Valen gets up and rummages through the bag Tatum dropped off. ¡°Can I borrow your shower?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t borrow it, but you can use it,¡± I tell him. I peeked up at him, and he had a silly grin on his face, and my lips tugged in the corners. ¡°Towels are in the hallway, ¡° ¡°Vrian showed me earlier,¡± He says and walks off down the hall while I turn my attention back to my task. Valen POV Her shower was tiny, and every time I turned or moved, I was knocking crap down off the shower caddy or smashing my elbows on the walls. Getting in, I nearly knocked myself out of the showerhead; it was that low, and why was everything pink? Pink shampoo, pink soap, pink shower curtain, and floor mats; it was like a pink explosion in here. I didn¡¯t pick her for a girlie girl. I should have used the kid¡¯s bathroom, not the joint one between Zoe and Everly¡¯s room. Turning back to the task at hand, I grab the pink loofa and sniff it. It smelt of Everly, so the fluffy pom-pom pink thing must be Zoe¡¯s. I was bending down under the showerhead trying to wash the shampoo out when I heard the door open and thought at first it was Everly until I listened to the mention of fudge mumbled, and I froze. That wasn¡¯t Everly. ¡°Remind me to ring Emily tomorrow to check on her, ¡± she sings out. I froze, wondering what she was doing before I heard that she was peeing. Were they thatfortable peeing in front of each other? Then again, Marcus and I were close, and he had no care about taking a leak in front of me. ¡°Everly?¡± She asked. I said nothing before suddenly the shower curtain was ripped back, and we made eye contact. Her weary gaze goes to my shocked one, and her eyes widen when she screams, scaring the crap out of me, and I grasp the shower curtain, trying to shut it while she tries to cover herself where she was sitting on the toilet peeing. The shower curtain was flimsy as I yanked it closed only for it to rip off, and the motion caught me off guard. I lost my footing on the slippery surface. I somehow ended up sprawled out on the floor, my legs spread in a very inappropriate manner, exposing me to a very horrified Zoe, and my head bent awkwardly in the corner of the shower. ¡°Shit, f*ck. I thought you, ah I can see your penis and balls I can see it all, I want to unsee it,¡± Zoe shrieks, covering her eyes. ¡°Everly! ¡± She calls out. ¡°Shh, shh, stop, don¡¯t call her in here, ¡± I choke out, trying to un-wedge myself. Bloody, how embarrassing and awkward. We made eye contact, eye contact, while both of us were in a very vulnerable state. ¡°What, are you alright? Oh my god, you¡¯re bleeding, I will get Everly,¡± She gushes, about to run from the room, but I moved, grabbing her ankle as she went to dart out. ¡°I¡¯m fine, let¡¯s just never speak of this moment again,¡± I gasp, my back killing, and I reach behind me before pulling out a pink back scrubber that was digging into my rear. I dropped it on the floor before looking up at Zoe who was staring at the ceiling. ¡°You good dude, alive?¡± ¡°Just great,¡± I tell her, covering myself with the torn shower curtain. ¡°Nice chat,¡± she says, quickly closing the door. I stumble out of her death trap shower and over to the mirror. The corner of my ear was bleeding and running down the side of my face. I clean it up before drying and putting on some boxers. Will add that memory to the most awkward situation file in my head. Man, I can never look that girl in the eye again. Walking out, Everly is passed out on the couch. Her mouth was wide open and her head bent back awkwardly, and I sighed, relieved when I realized we hadn¡¯t woke her. Scooping her up, she didn¡¯t even wake, making me wonder how much she actually works since she could sleep through all that noise I just made and Zoe screaming. Walking up the hall, I stopped when Vrian called out as I passed his door. ¡°Are you sleeping in here, dad?¡± He asks, rubbing his eyes. ¡°Go back to sleep. I will be here in the morning when you wake up,¡± his eyes move to his mother in my arms. ¡°Can I sleep with you and mum?¡± he asks, suddenly brightening up excitedly and I look down at Everly. I was nning on sleeping on the couch because Vrian¡¯s bed was way too small, but if Vrian is in there, maybe she won¡¯t mind? ¡± Please? ¡± he whispers, but he is already climbing out of bed. ¡°Okay, but be quiet, we don¡¯t to wake your mother, ¡° ¡°Mum could sleep through a tornado. The only thing that wakes her is her rm once she is asleep, Aunty Macey let off an air horn once, and she didn¡¯t even move, yet her rm wakes her, ¡± He shrugs, walking ahead and pushing the door open. ¡°Really?¡± I asked him. ¡°Yep, probably the medication that Grandma Val gave her. She takes them sometimes when she can¡¯t sleep. She took them just before dinner, ¡± Valerian says as I ce her down on the bed. I thought she took panadol, so this was news to me, yet she did give me a funny look when I caught her popping pills like she was caught doing something she shouldn¡¯t be doing. ¡°Valerian climbs in the middle, ¡± tugging the nkets up. Grandma Val works here?¡± I ask him, climbing in beside him. ¡°No, she died when I was a baby. She gave us the hotel to build our vige, ¡± Vrian says, yawning. He ces his head on my chest and snuggles closer. ¡°If you were a baby, how do you know she gave them to your mum, ¡° ¡°Because I heard Aunty Zoe and Aunty Macey arguing with mum over her taking them, something about them making her infertile. They said Grandma told her to take them only sometimes if the pain is too bad because they have wolfsbane in them, and she shouldn¡¯t spend her life numb, ¡± I stared up at the ceiling feeling guilty. Wolfsbane was poison to werewolves, but it also had medicinal properties in low doses, like pain relief because it killed the nerves and paralyzed you temporarily, yet too much could kill you. ¡°What does infertile mean? ¡± Vrian asks. I don¡¯t answer and just ask another question. ¡°And your mum doesn¡¯t take them all the time?¡± I ask him, and he shakes his head. ¡°No, Aunty Zoe banned them from the house, but she has a secret stash in the pantry. I saw her grab them out earlier while Zoe wasn¡¯t looking. She keeps them in the sultana¡¯s box. Zoe hates sultanas, and so does Casey, ¡° I nce over at Everly passed out cold. ¡°Get some sleep, ¡± I tell Vrian kissing his head. ¡°Love you, Dad, ¡± Vrian mumbles. ¡°Love you too, ¡± I tell him. Tomorrow I would find that stash and confront her, I thought to myself as my eyes closed. Chapter 49 Chapter 49 Everly POV I woke up to pee during the night and realized Vrian was in my bed. However, it was the body beside him that made me tense. No wonder my back was killing with Vrian¡¯s butt resting in the center of my back. Shaking my head, I quickly raced to the bathroom. I never usually woke up of a night and would remain asleep until my rm woke me. So I was a little disorientated as I walked back to the room. ncing at the rm clock that resided on the bedside table. I noted that it was a little after 3 AM. Why was I awake? In the pit of my stomach, I knew it was the bond, the dull throbbing ache of him being around for so long and the bond trying to pull me nearer and wanting me to seek him out. I even took one of my pills, hoping the incessant niggling pains would dissipate. I knew they woulde on, they always did after seeing him, even if it was only for a few minutes, plus I was worried I would sleepwalk and crawl into wherever he slept. The ache and need to see your mate was ridiculous. Bonds were far from a blessing. I would consider the bond to be more of a curse. It was irrational and illogical. Damn, Moon Goddess really screwed werewolves over with that inbuilt setting in our DNA, as if breaking every bone in our body to shift wasn¡¯t bad enough, we didn¡¯t even get a say in who our mates were, and we are as good as dead if we didn¡¯t ept them. Valen was turned facing Vrian, Valerian¡¯s head resting on his arm next to Valen¡¯s face. I carefully pulled the nket back up as I climbed back into bed, not wanting to disturb them. They both looked pretty peaceful. I eventually drifted back off, but not for long when I felt the bed move. I jolted upright, still caught in my dream of forsaken taking Vrian from me. I try to shake the remnants of the dream away to look over a t the clock and see I had only been asleep for twenty minutes. What the fuck. Movement makes me look over at Vrian to see he had climbed out of bed. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you okay?¡± Valen asks as Vrian climbs over him to get out of bed. ¡°I¡¯m just using the bathroom, ¡± Valerian mumbles, half asleep before walking out of the room. My dream was still fresh. I found myself following him, now paranoid about the forsaken getting in my house and stealing him. He shuts the door, and I lean on the wall yawning. Why couldn¡¯t I sleep? I have to do a double tomorrow; I need to sleep. I debated whether or not it would be worth taking another pill, but they also gave me terrible heartburn for the first half an hour after taking them; the wolfsbane was not a pleasant ingredient in them. I hear the toilet flush, and Vrian opens the door rubbing his eyes and yawning before walking off in the opposite direction toward his room. ¡± Val? ¡± he stops and looks up at me through his half-lidded eyes. He was not coherent at all as he yawned. ¡± Don¡¯t you want to sleep in my room? ¡± I ask him, knowing his father was in there. ¡°No, you keep kicking me,¡± he mumbles, turning around, walking into his room, and climbing in his bed. I tuck him in, tucking the surrounding nkets over him before kissing his head. I didn¡¯t know what to do with myself now. I checked all the windows and locks before rechecking them to ensure I didn¡¯t imagine checking them, anxiety at its finest. I debated what to do. I could climb in with Vrian, but he said I woke him from kicking him. I sighed before heading back out to the hall. I paused as I went to head out to the couch. Every part of my body told me I was going in the wrong direction. Trying to lead me back to my bed where Valen was. I knew the bond would get stronger, now I marked him, but this was ridiculous, making me wonder what would happen tomorrow when he wasn¡¯t here. Would it get worse with him further away? Would the pain get worse? My mind and body fought against one another before my body won, my feet carrying me back to my room while I mentally scolded myself for letting them. Valen had moved, now more in the center of the bed where Vrian was. ¡°I can sleep on the couch if Vrian isn¡¯ting back in. Is that why you were pacing in the hall, or did you go retake one of your pills?¡± Valen said while yawning. Pacing? I didn¡¯t realize I was pacing. I felt like I was losing my damn mind. I swallowed. I knew I should tell him to go sleep on the couch. ¡°Everly?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s fine, ¡± I mutter. ¡°It¡¯s fine? ¡± Valen says, sitting up on one elbow and looking at me. I pull the nket back, climbing back into the bed. My entire body was awake now, every part of me twitchy and antsy. I clench my hands into fists and ce them under my ass to stop myself from trying to touch him. What is wrong with me? The pain I was used to but feeling him so near was making my heart rate increase, my breathing faster as I soaked up his scent that perfumed the room. I feel himy back down, gettingfortable behind me. He sighed loudly. ¡°Vrian told me what those pills were you were taking, ¡± I say nothing and look at the ceiling. That kid was far too observant for his age; he is like a sponge absorbing everything he sees and hears. ¡°Why did you take them, Valerian said for pain, but I am not sleeping with anyone. Are you addicted to them? ¡± Did he seriously just ask me that? I haven¡¯t got time to scratch my ass half the time, let alone time to have an addiction on top of my never-ending responsibilities. ¡°I¡¯m not addicted to them,¡± I answer. ¡°Are you sure we can get you help? I am not judging if you are, ¡° ¡°Valen, I am not addicted to them; I don¡¯t take them all the time, only when you¡­ well, you know, and lately when I see you,¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°The bond..¡± I didn¡¯t want to give more reason to be around or use it as an excuse. ¡°Are you going to finish what you were going to say? ¡± I rub a hand down my face. ¡°When I see you, it¡¯s worse than when I don¡¯t. The bond recognizes you, tells me to im you so you can¡¯t be with them,¡± ¡°But you have imed me now, Everly, ¡° ¡°Yes, and now the urge to be near you is even worse, and it hasn¡¯t even been it hours, ¡± my tone came out harsher than I intended. But thinking the words and saying them were vastly different. Saying them made anger burn in me at how weak I sounded. I wasn¡¯t weak. ¡°And that¡¯s it, that is the only reason?¡± ¡°Yes, Valen. I am not addicted to my pills; you don¡¯t- ¡± I squeaked when he moved and grabbed me, rolling me as he slid his arm under my head and pulled me closer. His scent invades my nostrils before I feel him rest his chin on my head. I inhaled his scent, the dull ache instantly stamped down, and I felt my body rx, almost going utterly limp in his arms. I press my nose into the base of his throat. His stubble brushed my forehead, and a rather embarrassing noise left my lips that resembled a purring moan. ¡°Better?¡± he asked, and I froze mid sniff. He chuckles, his chest rumbling, and I go to pull my face from his neck, and he growls. ¡°I asked if it was better, didn¡¯t ask you to move, Everly, ¡± he whispered, tugging me closer. Within seconds I was asleep when he started purring, lulling my waking mind into blissful contentedness. Valen POV I got up to the sounds of Zoe getting the kids ready for school. I went to sit up and slide out from under Everly when Vrian came bounding into the room excitedly. Zoe was hot on his heels as she tried to stop him. ¡°Vrian, no mummy is sleeping, ¡± Zoe whispered yelled, but it was toote as the door smacked into the wall with a loud bang. Everly, however, did not wake up. I twisted out from under her, and Vrian seeing me moving, raced over while Zoe blinked at me. ¡°You¡¯re in bed; I thought you left,¡± ¡°Very observant, and yes, I am still here,¡± I tell her as Vrian climbs in myp before I even have a chance to get up. ¡°Are you taking me to school?¡± I looked over at Everly, still passed out as she moved closer in her sleep, burying her face in the pillow I was using.Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°No, Valerian, your father isn¡¯t dressed, and we are runningte,¡± Zoe says,ing over and plucking him off myp. I nce at the clock on the bedside table, and so does Vrian; he would be nearly an hour early. ¡°We don¡¯t need to leave until it says eight, three, zero, Zoe,¡± He says, his brows furrowing. ¡°We will bete to get breakfast on the way from Mcdonalds if we don¡¯ t leave now,¡± She says, hauling him out. Zoe winks at me, and I scrub a hand down my face, trying to wake up. ¡± Zoe! ¡± she stops at the door and looks over at me. ¡°Don¡¯t forget to ring Emily, ¡± I tell her, and she res at me. Her lips pressed into a line. If a look could kill, Zoe would have murdered me. I chuckle as she leaves, taking Vrian with her. I hear the kids making demands for their Mcdonald¡¯s breakfast as they leave beforeying back down. Everly instantly slid her way back over to me and tossed her leg over my waist before nestling her face back into my neck. Gripping her thigh, I haul her top of me, and I hear her sigh making meugh sof tly. She will probably kill me, but she wasn¡¯tining right now. I managed to go back to sleep before waking up to wandering hands roaming over my stomach and chest. I blink up at the ceiling to see her half on top of me still. Her head fell back on my arm, and I swallowed at the sight of her neck. So tempting , and it would be so easy to mark her while she was like this. I roll on my side and skim my nose across her neck and shoulder. Everly had a spicy floral scent, my mouth waters as I inhale deeply before running my tongue over her neck before freezing. Recognition smashed into me as I gave in to instinct, and I quickly ripped my face away from her neck, feeling my canines pressing into my lips. I suck in a deep breath before untangling myself from her. I needed to get away from her while she was in this state before I did something that would make her hate me. My stomach twisted as I forced myself out of the room. Needing a distraction, I flick the kettle on and start picking up toys and clothes that must be from this morning. Hours passed when I finally looked up, havingpletely forgotten about the coffee I intended to make. I had managed to clean the entire tiny apartment. ¡± Shit ! ¡± I curse under my breath. Was it weird I cleaned her ce? Would she find it insulting, would Zoe? I pull a chair out from under the table, attempting to make a slight mess so it doesn¡¯t look so clean, but all I could smell was bleach, taste it in the back of my mouth. The washing machine makes a noise singing loudly as the spin cycle finishes, and I walk away to put it in the dryer before stopping. I needed to put the damn chair back straight. Maybe I am slightlypulsive, but I had reason to be. I needed the distraction, so I didn¡¯t walk in there and mark her against her will. I realign the chair, my nervousness making it challenging to stop. Passing Valerian¡¯s room, I rechecked it, but his room was spotless. I ced the clothes in the dryer, turning it on before chucking another load on, but it was only half a load. I quickly look around, trying to find more clothes. Stopping at Everly¡¯s door, I push it open. I need to clean it; I run my fingers over her dresser. When was thest time she dusted? I flick my hand, ridding it of the dust before scooping up her work clothes and sniffing them to see if they had her scent on them or not. She had so many uniforms scattered around her room. She moved on the bed, and I nced at her, but she was still asleep. Scooping up another handful of clothes that were on my side of the bed, I sniff them when she clears her throat. I nce at her mid sniff to find her staring at me. She blinks at me and rubs her eyes, sitting up. ¡°What are you doing?¡± She asks. ¡°Ah, washing, ¡± I tell her holding up the pieces I just grabbed off the floor that fell under the bed. My eyes dart to what was in my hand. I blinked. ¡°Does that require you to sniff my panties and cami? ¡± She asks before reaching over and snatching them from my grip. My eyes widen. ¡°I wasn¡¯t, I was seeing if they were clean,¡± ¡°Well, were they Mr. Sniffer?¡± I clear my throat. Standing upright. Well, this got awkward fast. ¡°I swear, I was not sniffing them in a sordid way, see, I have an armful. I just came in here to see if any needed washing, ¡± god, that soundedme even to my own ears, not sniffing her panties in a sordid way. Who says that? ¡°Did you sniff Zoe¡¯s panties too?¡± She says, pointing to the clothes under my arm. ¡°What? No, I just grabbed these out of the hamper in the bathroom, ¡° ¡°I¡¯m ying Valen,¡± She chuckles, tossing her panties and cami to me. I let out a breath. ¡°But if you are looking for a job, I am seeking a nanny, ¡± Sheughs. ¡°Ha, very funny, ¡° ¡°Wait, really?¡± I could be a nanny, maybe pappy, nanny sounds a little feminine, but I would if it meant spending more time here. ¡°No, but hey, you want to clean. One less thing for me to do,¡± She says, swinging her legs over the side of the bed. ¡± Coffee?¡± She asks, and I nod, scooping up a dress from the back of her chair. Everly moves to the kitchen while I go to the tinyundry and put another load of washing on. ¡°Did you sort out my pantry?¡± She asks as I walk back into the living room sh kitchen dining room. I say nothing, feeling awkward suddenly. ¡°Where is the coffee?¡± she asks, rummaging around. I walk over to her, reaching past her, and she jumps when I press against her back. I grab the coffee jar and sugar. ¡°Right here, ¡± I retrieve the two canisters. ¡°Ah, we have been meaning to use those, ¡± She says. I found the decorative canisters still in the box, a whole heap of Tupperware still in the wrappers like they brought them and forgot about them. Everly turns around. ¡°Excuse me,¡± she says, squeezing past me. She grabs two mugs, and I lean on the counter, watching her. ¡°I got rid of your pills in the sultana box,¡± I tell her, and her hand stops mid-air. ¡°You what?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need them,¡± ¡°Valen, you can¡¯t just throw things out,¡± ¡°Vrian said Zoe ban them from the house, so you could either ept it and ring me when you need me or you can tell Zoe they are in the house and I will give them back,¡± I tell her, folding my arms across my chest. She growls, and I raise an eyebrow at her. ¡°Is that a purr or a growl, a little hard to tell, ¡± She res at me? ¡°So, what will it be?¡± She turns back to make the coffee. ¡°Or I could just stay here, or we can alternate between both ces. I was going to ask if I could take Vrian for the weekend anyway,¡± ¡°Valen, you don¡¯t even have a room for him set up or anything for a child at your ce, ¡° ¡°I will go get some stuff or send Marcus too. I can look after our son Everly, ¡° ¡°I will think about it; we have the Alpha meeting on Friday, maybe the weekend after,¡± She says, sliding a coffee over to me. ¡°Why not this weekend?¡± ¡°Valen, we are about to publicly announce we are mates, and that will change things for Vrian. I don¡¯t want too much to change, ¡° ¡°Then stay with him,¡± ¡°I am not staying at your ce. Besides, I have to work,¡± ¡°Then he will be fine with me, or I stay here. Either way, I am seeing my son on the weekend, so choose, ¡± I argue. She ignores me, walking back to her room to get ready for work. I follow, sitting on her bed. ¡°Ah, what are you doing?¡± ¡°Finishing our conversation, ¡± ¡°It can wait, I need to get ready, ¡° ¡°Then get ready. I thought women could multitask, or can¡¯t you talk and get dressed at the same time? ¡° She growls at me, but I refuse to leave even when she res at me as I getfortable on the bed and watch her. ¡°Valen, Out!¡± ¡°So, the weekend?¡± She snarls while snatching clothes off the hanger. Chapter 50 Chapter 50 Everly POV It took ages for me to get rid of Valen. Valen had been pestering me all bloody day about taking Vrian for the weekend; he finally agreed to leave if he could get Vrian from school and take him somewhere after school. I decided to agree so I could get some bloody work done because once again, we were down more staf f , and to make matters worse, no one could get a hold of Emily, and apparently, her son also didn¡¯ t show up for school. However , when it was nearly 6 PM, I began to worry when Zoe hadn¡¯t messaged me to say Vrian had been dropped to her like promised for dinner. Walking back to my office after the dinner rush started to slow down. I pulled my phone f rom my pocket about to ring Valen when I smacked into someone. Looking up, I find it was Marcus. ¡°Seriously, I have been looking for you everywhere,¡± He said, shaking his head. ¡°Ah, okay. Why, but more importantly, do you know where Valen is with my son?¡± ¡°At home, I think, he sent me to watch you for the night,¡± I growl, shoving past him and heading toward my office. Only when I got there I could hear banging inside the room and some strange noises. I push my office door open, wondering who is inside bef ore stopping dead in my tracks at the sight bef ore me. Marcus walks in behind me and bumps into me before freezing also. Looking up at Marcus, his mouth had fallen open in shock, and he nces at me before suddenly covering my eyes. I p his hand away, about to back out of the room quietly. When Marcus, of course, makes shit awkward by clearing his throat and drawing attention to the fact we were in the room. My n was to back away slowly and pretend I did not just see one of my best friends bent over my desk with her pants around her ankles while Tatum was pounding into her. They both jumped, and I tried to bail out, but Marcus was blocking the door with his huge *ss body. I nce everywhere but at the pair of them, while Marcus has no issues openly staring at them. I elbow him while poor Macy, who looked mortified at being busted, scrambled to put her clothes on. ¡°You should really put a sock on the door or maybe just lock it, ¡± Marcus taunts. Tatum clears his throat, yanking his pants up. ¡°We were um, filing and,¡± Tatum nces at Macey. ¡°And tripped and fell into her vagina; it happens all the time? I hate when that happens,¡± Marcus finishes for him while shaking his headughing. ¡°F*cking filing? Do I look like a damn cab, you idiot?¡± Macy growls. ¡°If you were, I would definitely stick my files in you, ¡± Tatum says as Macy buttons up her blouse; she growls at him. ¡°Next time, can you pick a room and not my desk?¡± I ask, still not looking at them. I would definitely be taking some sanitizer to that deskter. Maybe even buy another. I don¡¯t think I will ever look at it again same without seeing Macey bent over it. ¡°I thought you knocked off at four?¡± I asked her. ¡°I did, but Tatum asked for help, ¡°Wait, why are you still here?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t left,¡± Tatum says. ¡°Jenny didn¡¯ t show up?¡± Tatum shakes his head and shrugs. ¡°Jenny wasn ¡®t on today, ire was, and she never showed . I tried ringing her, and that was when I met.¡± ¡°She nces at Tatum. ¡°Your friend, did you get a hold of Emily? Zoe tried this morning and could n ¡®t?¡± Macy asks, and I shake my head. ¡°No, I was about to go over there and check on her, ¡°Maybe ire caught the bug too? ¡± Macy said, but this was getting too strange, I had managed to lose two receptionists in two days, and multiple staff was already sick . ¡°Okay, ring Jenny and see if she can fill in; I am heading over to themune,¡± I tell Macy, who picks up the phone. Shit! Vrian, I thought. Pulling my phone out, I quickly dialed Valens phone, which was switched off. I growl and look at Marcus. ¡°Mindlink your Alpha and ask where my son is?¡± ¡®If you let him mark you , you could mind link him you rself ,¡± Marcus taunts, and I roll my eyes before watching his eyes ze over. I waited when he sighed. ¡°He said he is taking Vrian for the night,¡± Marcus tells me, and I press my lips in a line before walking out to the car park. I would pick him up on the way home. Only when I get out there, I curse, realizing I don ¡®t have a car thanks to Valen and turn around to head back home to see if I could borrow Zoe ¡®s. Only when I turn around, do I smack into Marcus again. ¡°What are you doing?¡± I asked him, seeing that he was following me. ¡°Ah,ing with you,¡± He says. ¡°You are not staying at my ce, go home and¡­ wait, have you got a car,¡± ¡°Ah yeah, you think I walked here¡± ¡°Good, you are taking me to the roguemune,¡± I tell him, looking for his car. I spot the shiny, sleek sports car and start marching over to it. ¡± Is that where your friend lives?¡± Marcus asks, chasing me to keep up. ¡°Yes, she isn¡¯t answering her phone, and her son never showed up for school,¡± I tell him as he unlocks his car. I climb in the passenger seat before sending Zoe a message that I would get Vrian and that I was going to check on Emily. Marcus drove me insane the entire drive there; the man could talk the leg of f an iron pot. And what was up with his music selection? It sound ed like a kid ¡®s musical in here. ¡°What the heck are you listening to?¡± I ask. ¡°Trolls soundtrack, it is catchy, do you like it?¡± ¡°No!¡± I tell him. ¡°Casey downloaded it on my Spotify,¡± ¡°What is up with you sniffing her, by the way. And I wou ld stay the hell away from Zoe. She wants your damn head on a silver tter, I warn him. ¡°Yeah, Valen told me on the way to the school at Lunch time, said she bitched him out really good. I only wanted to know what washing powder she used, a bit of an overreaction if you ask me, ¡± Marcus sighed. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t think that if you had her upbringing, she spent the majority of her childhood in youth homes; she met some bloody creeps in her time, I tell him. ¡°Is that how she had Casey?¡± He asked, and I shook my head. ¡°No, and what were you and Valen doing at the school at lunchtime, ¡° ¡°Getting Vrian to take him to the birth registry,¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°Valen, got him DNA tested and changed hisst name?¡± ¡°He what?¡± I growled. ¡°You didn ¡®t know?¡± ¡°No, I f*cking didn ¡®t,¡± Marcus looks away awkwardly, drumming his on the steering wheel. ¡°I thought you lrnew Valen had a blood sample taken the night he found out before you got there,¡± ¡°Why would he need to have his DNA tested? We can tell our own Kin,¡± ¡°Yeah, but the birth registry would need it. They can ¡®t tell if Vrian is his or not, ¡± Marcus shrugs. ¡° I thought he told you he was taking Vrian f rom school,¡± ¡°Yes, picking him up after not kidnapping him and changing his name, I am going to f*cking kill him, ¡± I growled as we pulled into themune. Driving in blue and red lights made us slow down , and officer Richards waved for us to stop as we pulled in. We were in a pretty secluded area at the back of themune, so there wasn¡¯t any reason for them to be out here. Only Emily and her son lived out here because her neighbors keptining about the smell of her vegetable garden, so she moved to the other side of themune away from everyone. Marcus rolled down his window, and officer Richards came over and peered in the window. ¡°Beta, Everly,¡± Officer Richards said. ¡°What is going on?¡± I ask him. ¡°School sent us out to do a welfare check on a woman called Emily and her son. Apparently, neither showed up to the school today; she did the morning reading group,¡± I nod. Emily always did two days a week at the school, one day for canteen duty the other reading group. ¡°So you spoke with her?¡± I asked. ¡°You know her? ¡°Yeah, she works at my hotel. I wasing to check on her,¡± Officer Richards runs a hand down his face. ¡°Her ce is a mess, and there are signs of a struggle; forensics are in there now taking blood samples, ¡± Forensics were taking b lood samples; I blink, thinking of thest time I saw Emily or her son. ¡°Blood samples?¡± ¡°Yeah, the ce is pretty messed up, she put a fight, but we can¡¯t find any sign of her or her son,¡± ¡°Forsaken?¡± ¡°Unsure, maybe, but we found a dead one not far into the forest,¡± ¡°You reported it to Valen?¡± ¡°No, we tried , can ¡®t reach him, but Alpha John is on his way out said he would stop by and grab Alpha Kalen, bloody strange seeing them two talking, ¡° Officer Richard says. Marcus nods, and so do I. My brows furrow, wondering why my father was interested in missing Rogues. ¡°I will let Valen know tomorrow; let us know if you find anything,¡± Marcus says. I wondered briefly if Kalen would tell my father about Valen and me but doubted it. However, I was interested in why those two were so bud dy-buddy right now. Officer Richards goes to leave bef ore stopping anding back to the window. He leaned in, looking at me, but I was still stuck on the fact my receptionist was missing and her son. ¡°Also, Everly, you might want to give Zoe a heads up, ¡°I look over at him. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. ¡°Pardon ¡° ¡® ¡°Amber found out about Casey, ¡° ¡°F*ck, think she will cause issues,¡± Officer Richards shrugs. ¡°No idea, but she wasn¡¯ t happy,¡± I sigh and nod. I will let Zoe know, I¡¯m sorry, Everly, Why are you sorry? They are filing for custody of Casey, What? ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we will back Zoe up; she is a good girl, and honestly, Amber is just being spiteful, ¡° I curse, shaking my head. Zoe was going to freak out. ¡°Tell you r son to back off and pull his mat e in line; theye after Zoe f or Casey there will be issues,¡± ¡°I will speak with him, but you know what the courts are like, he already filed, and Zoe is a Rogue, ¡° ¡°That says nothing about her ability to parent,¡± I tell him. Officer Richards nods sadly. ¡°Which court did he file in?¡± ¡± His mates, Shadow Pack. Alpha John ¡®s pack, ¡± F*ck! I was hoping he would have said Valen ¡®s pack. ¡°Wait, she is from shadow Pack?¡± ¡°Ah yes, she is the Beta¡¯s daughter,¡± I blink at him, racking my brain for the name. ¡°Wait, Amber Zimmer?¡± ¡°Yeah, do you know her?¡± ¡°Yeah, I went,¡± Marcus elbows me, and I realize I was about to admit going to school with her. She was one of Ava¡¯ s best friends. ¡°We should go; I need to get Everly over to Alpha Valen is to pick up Vrian,¡± ¡°Oh yes, Kalen told me it was being announced at the Alpha meeting when I rang him. The pack will be stoked that Valen finally found his mate,¡± ¡°Once they get over the shock of his mate being a rogue?¡± ¡°Ah, well, yes, bu t the pack will love you ,¡± Officer Richards says. I doubted that but sighed. ¡°Well, we should go; keep us updated,¡± Marcus says, winding his window up and turning the car around. ¡°Valen¡¯ s?¡± ¡°Yes, then I need to go break the news to Zoe,¡± I tell him, and he nods. ¡°She can fight it,¡± Marcus tells me. ¡°She is rogue, and the custody case will be heard in my father¡¯s pack, ¡± Marcus seems to think for a second . ¡°You think he would interfere?¡± ¡°I know he will if he finds out she is my friend,¡± He nods, and we drive to Valen¡¯s. Chapter 51 Chapter 51 Marcus drove me to Valen¡¯s Hotel; I noticed the strange looks I received as I stepped out of his car. I waited for him before following him inside the grand ce. People stared openly, and I rolled my eyes and fought the urge to tell them off. I stabbed the elevator button with my finger a little too viciously in my annoyance. Marcus raises an eyebrow at me before smirking and shaking his head. Looking around the foyer while we waited, I made eye contact with a few people who stared in shock at seeing a rogue, anyone would think I had two heads with the way they stared, like I was some mutant. I stared back until they looked away. ¡°Not trying to cause trouble at all,¡± Marcus says, clicking his tongue. ¡°I am not the problem they are,¡± I tell him, and he nods. ¡°It won¡¯t be an issue soon,¡± ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be an issue at all,¡± Marcus sighs. There was no point in getting into an argument over whose views were right or wrong. The elevator doors open, and I step inside; Marcus pulls a key from his pocket, cing it in the keyhole and twisting it before pressing the button to the penthouse. I tapped my foot impatiently, and Marcus bristled. ¡°I take it you are not happy with your mate,¡± Marcus chuckles. ¡°No, I am ecstatic he changed my son¡¯s name without asking, that he pulled him from school earlier than he said he would and that he didn¡¯t return my son like agreed,¡± ¡°That was sarcasm, right?¡± I huff, annoyed. When the doors open on the top floor, I head straight toward his door, ignoring the startled warriors lining the hall. Before I could knock on it, the door opened, and Valen took a step back as I pointed at him. ¡°How f*cking dare you, you had no right to change his name or f*cking kidnap him, Is this supposed to make me trust you?¡± I bellowed at him, jabbing him in the chest. He snatches my hand in his tight grip before jerking me closer and surprising me by pecking my lips before I could stop him. ¡°Good afternoon to you too, mate,¡± he says with augh before letting go and walking off down the hall into the living room. I hear the door close as Marcus walks in behind me. I stalked after Valen angrily. ¡°That¡¯s it, you aren¡¯t going to say anything,¡± I demanded. ¡°Nothing to say; I didn¡¯t do anything wrong, Everly. He is my son, and I can look after him for the night,¡± ¡°I¡¯m talking About changing his name, Valen, and you know it,¡± ¡°Coffee?¡± ¡°What, no, I am here to collect my son and f*cking leave,¡± ¡°He is asleep, so keep your voice down, and secondly, I need your signature to change his name,¡± he says, pointing to some documents in front of me. ¡°I collected the paperwork for change of name and showed proof of DNA, but I need your signature to change it,¡± Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Shit, my bad, bro. I told her you done it,¡± Marcus says walking in. ¡°Do you not pay attention?¡± Valen growled at him. ¡°Surprised, you didn¡¯t just pay them off to change it?¡± I snap at him. ¡°It did cross my mind,¡± he admits. ¡°There is a pen,¡± he says, pointing to it beside the documents. ¡°I haven¡¯t agreed, Valen¡± ¡°Well, you can break his heart then and exin why he can¡¯t have my name too,¡± ¡°Too?¡± I ask, looking down at the paperwork. I read over it to see he had hyphenated his name. Changing it to Summers-Sce. I chewed my lip suddenly embarrassed at my ranting. ¡°I wasn¡¯t trying to get rid of you, Everly. I just wanted it to say he was mine too,¡± he ces a mug in front of me before picking up the pen and handing it to me. ¡°So please sign it,¡± I take the pen from him, looking at the ridiculously long name. He talks to Marcus while I read over all the documentation before crossing out summer¡¯s and adding my ID number and signature. I couldn¡¯t believe I had just removed my name from his documents. Well, technically, it wasn¡¯t my birth name but still. Valen takes the documents and nces at them before seeing I scribbled out myst name. ¡°So, just Sce?¡± ¡°Just take it before I change my mind,¡± I tell him. ¡°Why, I thought for sure you would carry on over your name being removed,¡± ¡°Because it looks ridiculous, and I don¡¯t want him known as Alpha Alphabet with a name that long. Imagine spelling that every time,¡± He appears to think for a second before humming in agreement. ¡°Now, my son?¡± ¡°Room to the left of mine,¡± he says, pointing down the hall. He talks with Marcus while I wandered down the hall to get Vrian. I stopped next to the door before looking back at Valen and pointing to it, not wanting to identally walk into his without permission. He nodded, and I twisted the handle before entering. It was not at all what I expected to find. However, I was shocked to see the gxy wall decor stickers. For years, I had wanted to decorate his room, but he liked everything in and simple. I once ced dinosaur pictures on his walls, and Vrian chucked the biggest tantrum and said I ruined a perfectly good wall. So I was shocked to see his bedroom actually resemble a kid¡¯s room and not some showroom that looked like it was never lived in. The light fighting was a moon. Stars covered the walls from his projection nightlight, sitting on the bedside table. ¡°Just let him stay one night?¡± Valen said behind me, making me jump. ¡°When did you do all this?¡± ¡°Today, Valerian helped,¡± ¡°He let you decorate it?¡± ¡°Yes, he even helped me pick; he wanted a room like mine,¡± He chuckles. ¡°You have stars on walls?¡± Iugh. ¡°No, I have grown out of that now. I also sleep with the light off, too; I am officially a big boy,¡± he chuckles, and I elbow him. ¡°No, I was telling him about my room when I was a kid while we were at the store. I watched him pick out the most boring stuff for a kid I have ever seen,¡± Valen says before shaking his head. ¡°You mean like his room at home?¡± ¡°You said it, not me,¡± I roll my eyes before moving toward his bed. His bedspread also had the gxy on it. Leaning down, I kiss him tucking his nket up higher. With a sigh, I stood up before turning to look at Valen. ¡°One night, and he has to go to school. If I get a phone call tomorrow saying he isn¡¯t at school, it will be thest time, Valen,¡± I warn him. Valen beams like all his Christmases came at once. I shook my head, going to see if Marcus would run me home when Valen stepped into my path. Chapter 52 Chapter 52 I had every intention ofing over here and dragging my son out and beating this stupid man senseless, though I probably would have needed help to do such a thing, and it all backfired. ¡°Stay, I will sleep on the couch,¡± Valen says gripping my arm. ¡°You would sleep on your own couch?¡± I scoff. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t be the first time. Also, pretty sure I have passed out on the floor more times than I count,¡± he says. ¡°No, I have to go see Zoe anyway.¡± ¡°Call her and stay. The Hotel will survive without you for one night,¡± ¡°I don¡¯t even have clothes here,¡± ¡°I own a washing machine and dryer; I also know how to use them,¡± ¡°Ha, very funny. You¡¯re probably a better cleaner than I am with your OCD. But I don¡¯t think that is a good idea, I can¡¯t,¡± I sighed, rubbing my temples. Since when did my life be soplicated ? I had so much going on. The Alpha meeting was in a few days. My employees were missing, the rest sick. Now the drama with Casey¡¯s father, and now I had to fight my damn bond every second the day. I felt like my grasp on control was slowly slipping. Everything is being thrown out of wack. ¡°I don¡¯t want to confuse Vrian more than he already is,¡± ¡±What do you mean, we are about to announce to the City we are mates Everly? How would you being here confuse him,¡± he asks, leading me out of the room and into the hall. He shuts Vrian¡¯s door before stopping to look at me. How does he not get it? ¡°Yes, exactly announcing we are mates, but that¡¯s it. I don¡¯t want him thinking we are suddenly a family like everyone else. It is different,¡± ¡°You are making this different. To me, it is straightforward. I am yours, and you are mine. That¡¯s what mates are, Everly. We are supposed to be together, so why do you keep bloody fighting it?¡± I don¡¯t bother answering. Instead, I go look for Marcus. ¡°I sent him home,¡± Valen calls out behind me. ¡°You sent him home?¡± ¡°Yes, because I hoped you would stay,¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to stay, Valen. I don¡¯t know how I can make it much clearer,¡± ¡°You know what your issue is. You are so used to being in control. You call me OCD, and yet have you looked at yourself?¡± ¡°Excuse me, I am nothing like you. I didn¡¯t f*cking torture you for years. I sure as hell didn¡¯t ask for your god damn help; that boy in there, I raised him on my own. While you stuck your dick in every bitch in the city and spent thest few years drunk out of your f*cking brain, we are nothing alike,¡± I snap at him. ¡°I have apologized, I can¡¯t f*cking change it, or I would. So stop throwing it in my face every two seconds. I am trying to make this work while all you do push me away. I know I f*cked up, but you could have done more too, don¡¯t put all the me on me,¡± ¡°Done more? You kicked me off your f*cking territory, I tried telling you over the phone, and youughed at me,¡± ¡°My private life is far from private Everly there were plenty of events in the city where you could have come right up to me with him, and I would have recognized him, f*ck you could have sent me the DNA tests or coun-ordered them, you make out I am a drunk,¡± He pauses for a second he appeared to be thinking before he shrugged. ¡°Well, I was, but I wasn¡¯t drunk every second of every day. I still had obligations to the pack and city. Don¡¯t tell me there was nothing else you could have done. And the reason you didn¡¯t was because that meant you ran the risk of f*cking losing him, so don¡¯t put the me entirely on me, you f*cking hate me, I get it but you also could have found another way and your hate towards me is why you didn¡¯t, ¡± I blink at him when Vrian¡¯s voice reaches my ears. ¡°Mummy?¡± Valerian murmurs, making Valen spin around to face the hall. ¡°Why is everyone yelling?¡± I went to pick him up when Valen did before I got the chance. ¡± Come on, I will tuck you back in; you have school in the morning,¡± Valen whispers to him, kissing his head. ¡°Stay or don¡¯t. I am done arguing. My keys are on the bench if you want to leave,¡± Valen says while walking off with a sleepy Vrian in his arms. I could hear him murmuring to him before I turned around walking into the kitchen to look for his keys. I snatched them up, intending to leave, when I stopped when I heard Vrian was crying in the room. Moving down the hall, I stop near his door listening to Valen try to calm him. Wondering if I should intervene. ¡°I don¡¯t want to stay if mummy can¡¯t. Does she think I don¡¯t want her because I wanted to stay here? You don¡¯t have to make her leave.¡± Valerian sobbed. My head clenched at his words. D id he think I med him or his father? I was the one trying to leave. I went to walk in when Valen¡¯s voice stopped me. ¡°Your mother is angry with me, not you. She wille back. Daddy did the wrong thing, that¡¯s all,¡± ¡°But she is leaving and not taking me with her, why wouldn¡¯t she stay?¡± ¡°Do you want me to take you home?¡± Valen asked him. ¡°But I want to stay here too,¡± peeking in the door, Valen rubs his face. ¡°I am right here. I am not going anywhere,¡± I tell him before Valen no doubt tries to retake the me. Maybe he was right? Perhaps I could have done more or maybe it was the bond making me think that or the fact Vrian was upset. Although, I always noticed when events were held in the city. We made sure not to organize events on the same weekends. He wasn¡¯t wrong about that part; he was a part of many events where I could have approached him. Moving into the room, Valen looks at me before looking at Vrian. ¡°See, she is right here,¡± ¡°And you will stay?¡± Valerian asks, and I look at his father before nodding. ¡°I will stay; I just need to ring Aunty Zoe. I will be here when you wake up,¡± I tell him. Quickly leaning down, I peck his cheek. ¡°Go to sleep. It¡¯ste,¡± I tell him. Vrian snuggles underneath his nket. I watch as his father gives him a kiss before I walk out of the room. I walk into the living room and sit on the couch, pinching the bridge of my nose. Valen was still in his room, and I sent Zoe a message to see if she was still up. I waited for a reply, but I figured she was asleep when I didn¡¯t get one. I would tell her tomorrow, it probably wasn¡¯t a good idea to tell her over the phone, plus I knew she wouldn¡¯t sleep once I told her. ¡°Are you ringing, Zoe?¡± Valen asks, walking out and stopping next to me. He falls on the couch beside me. ¡°You didn¡¯t have to take the me,¡± I tell him. ¡°He will find out eventually anyway,¡± ¡°You¡¯re right; I could have found other ways to tell you,¡± he nods. ¡°Well, I know now,¡± He says with a sigh before getting up. ¡°I will get you some clothes to sleep in unless you are sneaking off, I can distract him until you get back in the morning?¡± ¡°I told him I would stay, I will stay on the couch,¡± I tell him. He goes to say something but I cut him off. ¡°Your apartment Valen, I will sleep on the couch,¡± I tell him and he purses his lips but nods before walking off. He returned with some clothes and a towel before pointing me in the direction of the bathroom. Everything in his bathroom was so clean and white. Undressing I stepped in and turned the shower dials. Seriously, who has dials? Water sprayed out like a damn tsunami sting me in the face and I ced my hands up shielding my eyes. So much for not wetting my hair. I turned the other dial only to find water sprayed out the wall making me shriek when my *ss is suddenly pelted with a force that water shouldn¡¯te out and it was freezing cold. I tried to shut it off when music started ring from somewhere. What the f*ck, the bathroom suddenly turned into a rave and I was being waterboarded while my *ss was filling with water. Was this Karma? Did I break a mirror or something? I tried covering my ears over the horrid radio sting from god knows where, while trying to shield my eyes as I spun the dials trying to shut it off. ¡°Everly?¡± ¡°How do you turn it off?¡± I screamed. ¡°The blue dial,¡± ¡± I can¡¯t see a blue f*cking dial, your dial is broken,¡± I shriek at him when another jet of water suddenly comes from the roof, the f*cking roof. I shield my head and my *ss, forgetting the ears, I would go deaf but my *ss can¡¯t take any more. I felt like I was in a carwash, not a damn shower. Suddenly the water cuts off and I hearughing. Scrubbing my hands down my face I blink my eyeballs aching. ¡°Off¡± Valen said pointing to one dial. ¡°On, and that one is pressure,¡± he says pointing to the third dial whileughing. ¡°You couldn¡¯t have a normal functioning shower?¡± I snap while choking on water. ¡°Maybe yours are dated?¡± ¡°My *ss feels like it just got sted to the damn moon, who in their right mind wants an *ss ster in the shower,¡± Valen chuckles looking down before I realized while I was drowning and choking on the water I was also very much naked. A shriek left my lips as I shoved past him to grab a towel to cover up. Wet tiles and my coordination were not a good mix tonight as I collided with him taking both of us out. Valen tried to grab me but I was done for. Valen wheezes as I go tits and *ss up beforending on the floor on top of him. I felt like this was some sort of set up and I was being punked, surely this couldn¡¯t get any more awkward. I was so wrong when I realized I was looking at his feet which meant I was on top of him with my *ss on his face. How? Just how? ¡°Your *ss really did get sted,¡± Valen chuckles. Please moon goddess strike me down and put me out of my misery! I scramble off, and there was nodylike way I could have avoided him seeing me when now he had an internal view, not even my gyno got that close and personal with my never regions. ¡°Good to know you wax,¡± Valen adds, hismentary was not necessary. If only he saw it two weeks ago it looked like the a*¡±¡±*n jungle, with my winter fur coat. I was foul when I got that call saying I was three years past myst pap smear. Thank god, I was or he would have been coughing up a hairball. I snatch the towel off the basin covering myself trying to keep some dignity even though I was pretty sure most of went down the drain along with my ability to speak. I cleared my throat. ¡°Do you want me to fix the shower?¡± I nod and hum looking anywhere but at him. He snickers trying to contain himself as he turned it on for me. He then takes his shirt off motioning toward the shower. ¡°I have already seen you, so no point hiding from now, Everly,¡± he chuckles before shedding his pants and stepping in. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Get in the shower Everly, we are even now, I have seen yours and you have seen mine,¡± ¡°I was just a bit more polite and didn¡¯t chuck my genitals on your face,¡± Valen snickers, and I growl at him. I made sure to keep my eyes on his before he raises an eyebrow at me. I roll my eyes but he was right nothing much more he could see so I dropped the towel and hopped in. Chapter 53 Chapter 53 ¡± Can you not stare , ¡± I snapped at Valen . His roaming gaze made me self conscious . My body was not what he would be used to , my stomach wasn¡¯t t , my hips had faint stretch marks and my boobs didn¡¯t sit perky on my chest anymore . My body was ruined from carrying Vrian . While he stood looking like he just stepped out of a sports magazine all hard chiseled muscle and tanplexion while my skin was pale inparison and I looked frumpy . ¡± Does my staring bother you ? ¡± ¡± Ah , yeah . I wouldn¡¯t have said it if it didn¡¯t , ¡± I tell him , turning away from him . ¡± You have had a baby , that doesn¡¯t make you look any less appealing , Everly , so don¡¯t shy away from me now , ¡± he says , putting his head under the shower spray t o rinse the shampoo from his hair . Easy for him to say , I don¡¯t have ex¡¯s for him topare himself against . Whereas I have seen the girls in the papers that he kept on his arm , even met one of them . As if I wouldn¡¯t feel inadequatepared to their perky fit bodies while I looked like used goods . I quickly washed before hopping out and wrapping a towel around myself . Valen leisurely moved about as he got out , uncaring that he was standing around naked in front of me but unlike him , I averted my gaze instead of gawking and kept my eyes strictly above his pecs . I yanked his shirt over my head before undoing the towel when I realized the pants were gone . When I tried to leave the bathroom , Valen stepped into my path . Moving the other way he did the same thing . ¡± Trying to escape me ? ¡± ¡± Valen , I am tired , please . I don¡¯t want to y these stupid games . Just move aside , ¡± I tell him . ¡± Always so serious , N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. ¡± And you are always annoying me . Please move , ¡± ¡± ¡± I will , but you have to sleep in the bed with me , ¡± I shake my head , and he folds his arms across his chest and looks down a t me . ¡± No , ¡± ¡± Fine , we will sleep here then , ¡± he shrugs before leaning against the door and with a devious smile on his lips , and I red at him . ¡± Fine , but I want the bathtub . You can have the floor , ¡± I huffed before turning around and walking over to it . Somehow I don¡¯t think his OCD ass would cope with sleeping on the wet floor . ¡± Are you really that bloody stubborn ? ¡± Valen asked . ¡± Yep , ¡± I tell him , popping the P. Valen growled behind me , and I climbed into the bathtub . I have slept in worse ces , but I know he hasn¡¯t . He would notst long . ¡± Everly ! ¡± ¡± Valen ! ¡± I retorted . His growl bounced off the tiled walls before he suddenly yanked me out of the tub . ¡± ¡± Good thing I am also stubborn . Would you look at that we have something inmon , and you are sleeping with me , ¡± Valen growled while I struggled to get out of his grip . ¡± Valen , ¡± I snapped . My fists hit his chest a s he tried to pull me from the tub . Heughed before tossing me over his shoulder . I banged on his back before digging my elbows into it . ¡± You can be a jerk , ¡® ¡± ¡± Imagine Vrian¡¯s little face when he finds you in my bed instead of on the 11 couch , ¡® ¡± That is guilt ¨C tripping and you know it , don¡¯t use our son to get what you want , . ¡± What I want is for my mate to sleep in the same bed as me . I never said I would try to sleep with you , but your squirming i s making it rather difficult ¡± I dug my elbows in deeper and his back arched as h e walked up the hall toward his room , he pushed his bedroom door open with his foot , and I growled at him . ¡± Do I need to find something to tie you down with , or will you behave ? ¡± ¡± Do that , and you will wanna sleep with a towel wrapped around your bloody neck , ¡± ¡± ¡± Why would I want to do that ? ¡± ¡± To stop me from cutting it while you sleep , ¡± I snap at him . ¡± Then I am definitely tying you to the bed , I growled , my legs and arms iling before I stopped and growled at him . ¡± Fine , but I am the big spoon , ¡± I tell him . ¡± Are you trying to ruin my masculinity , ¡± ¡± Take it or leave it , ¡± I tell him before I am dumped on the bed . A squeak left my lips a t the motion , and I growled while he chuckled at me . ¡± Fine , you can be the big spoon , ¡± Valen growled as he climbed on the bed . He tugged the covers back before climbing underneath them . ¡± I was happy to just share the bed with you , but hey , if you want to hug me , I will take it , ¡± Valen tells me , and I rolled my eyes at him but climbed underneath his nkets . Gosh , his bed wasfortable , like a cloud , and I would never ever agree to take the couch again . I realized how ufortable my bed was , which I used t o believe was comfortable . I was pretty certain he just ruined my bed for me now . Ah , and his scent made me want to roll around in it , not that I did . I have some control , but I suddenly never wanted to leave his bed . ¡± Ah , are you forgetting something ? What about spooning me ? ¡± Valenughed . ¡± I¡¯m toofortable to move now , hug yourself , ¡± I yawned before feeling the bed shift under his weight . Valen pushed my shoulder , wanting me to roll on my side , but I was actually considering biting him for moving me . Although the warmth he offered made me shut up and wiggle back against him . ¡± I prefer being the big spoon , ¡± He said , snuggling against me . He shrieked when I jammed my freezing cold feet between his thighs . ¡± How can your feet be cold when you just had a shower ? ¡± He growled , and I snickered . ¡± If you want to be the big spoon , you also get to be my feet warmer , ¡± His chest vibrated against my back with his growl , but he didn¡¯t move ; instead pressed closer , and I sumbed quickly to sleep . The sound of my phone ringing in the living room woke me . Valen groaned behind me , and I blinked around at the room to find it still dark but could see the sliver of light peeking out the sides of the thick block ¨C out curtains . ¡± Turn it off , Valen snarled while pressing his face into the back of my neck . ¡± 1 I yawned about to toss the nkets back and climb out to retrieve my phone when I realized the tune ying wasn¡¯t my rm but my ringtone . The noise cuts off mid fmid / tune . ¡± Thank god , ¡± Valen mumbled when it started ring again , and I sat upright . Vrian¡¯s voice reached my ears . ¡± Hey , Aunty Macey , ¡± Valerian said from the living room . I peeked over at the bedside table to see Valen¡¯s phone on charge and I moved out of his grip to snatch it . I pressed the power button , and the screen lit up , telling me it was midday . A gasp escaped me and I lurched upright . ¡± Valen , get up . We slept in , ¡± I snapped at him before hitting his shoulder just as I heard Vrian¡¯s footsteps run up the hall toward the bedroom . The door opens further . ¡± Mum , Aunty Macey said she needs to speak to you about Zoe . She is crying , ¡± Vrian said while holding the phone out I took it , cing it to my ear . ¡± Hey , I am sorry I amte . I- ¡± ¡± Why haven¡¯t you been answering your phone . Amber and Micha just rang Zoe and said they are on their way to get Casey , ¡± ¡± What , ¡± I said , jumping out of bed . I raced / to Valen¡¯s dresser and opened drawers before grabbing the first set of pants Iid my hands on . I ripped them up legs . ¡± I am not at the Hotel , Zoe rang me hysterical . I am stuck at the morgue . I need you to get to her , ¡± Macey sobbed , and I nodded . ¡± I¡¯m on my way , ¡± ¡± Wait , why are you at the morgue ? ¡± ¡± They think they found Emily . An officer picked me up to identify her , ¡± ¡± ¡± Her son , ¡± ¡± I have no idea . Get to Zoe , ¡± Macey said , hanging up . My head spun , and Vrian stared up at me worriedly . ¡± Is Aunty Zoe alright ? I didn¡¯t want to wake you , I¡¯m sorry , ¡± Valerian cried and Valen looked around confused . ¡± It¡¯s not your fault , but I need to go . She will be fine , ¡® ¡± I told him . ¡± What¡¯s going on ? ¡± He yawned . ¡± I need your keys ; I have to get back to the hotel , ¡± I tell him . ¡± Stay with your father . I will be back when I can , ¡± I told Vrian before rushing out the door . I snatch his keys off the bench and herald for the door just as Valen came out carrying our crying son . ¡± Everly , what¡¯s going on ? ¡± ¡± Micha mate found out about Casey . Zoe needs me over at the hotel , ¡± ¡± Is everything alright ? ¡± I looked at Vrian , not wanting to say much in front of him , especially since¡¯l didn¡¯t exactly know what was going on . All I knew was I let Zoe down . I should have gone home and told herst night what Officer Richard said . ¡± I will send Marcus to meet you , Go . I will meet you over there,¡±I nodded and rushed toward the front door. Chapter 54 Chapter 54 As I jerked to a stop in the staff car park , the scene unfolding before my eyes made my blood boil . As Micha tried to yank her away from Zoe , Casey clutched her mother¡¯s clothes and wailed . Staff members attempted to separate them , and I tossed my door open and got out . ¡± Micha , what the fuck , ¡± I snapped at him . Zoe looked up , and I rushed over to her side , shoving her behind me and getting between them . ¡± Take Casey inside , ¡± I told her when I noticed a womane stomping over in a rage . Her blonde hair hung loosely in waves and her face made up looking like she was about to step into a photoshoot . She looked every part the perfect housewife until she opened up her mouth . ¡± Micha , grab the kid and let¡¯s go , ¡® snapped . ¡± She ¡± Amber , get back in the car , ¡± Micha groaned , turning to face his mate . I pushed Zoe toward the doors of the Hotel . Before looking at some of my staff . ¡± Where is security ? ¡± The perimeter was breached . They are fixing the fence and out of radio range , One of them told me . Fuck ! I cursed under my breath . ¡± Like hell , I will . She stole my baby . I should be the only person having your Kid Micha . Now get Casey , and let¡¯s leave . She is a rogue whore . Just knock the dumb bitch out . No one will care , and your father will get you off anyway . ¡± Micha crubbed a hand down his face , and I could tell he didn¡¯t want any of this happening , but Amber was a nut job and also his mate . She was always loud and outgoing at school , but I was shocked to see how cold ¨C hearted she was now . Micha turned to look at me and I red at him . ¡± I¡¯m sorry Everly , step aside . I want my daughter , ¡± ¡± Want your daughter ? Where fuck were you for all these years ,ing and going a s you pleased , Casey barely even knows you , ¡± ¡± Regardless , she is still mine , ¡± He says , trying to shove past me . ¡± Wait , Everly ? Is that you ? ¡± Amber said , finally looking in my direction . I red at her . ¡± Holy shit , is you . Everyone wondered what happened to you ? Your father said you ran away , ¡± She gushed with tears in her eyes . Is this bimbo for real right now . She tried to embrace me , but I stepped away from her . ¡± Everly ? ¡± Amber said . I can¡¯t believe she dared to look hurt in the situation . ¡± Leave both of you , or I will be forced to call the police , ¡± I tell them when Micha made a run for the door and jerked Zoe back by the back of her shirt . She smashed against the ground before he grabbed Casey , and I moved to her holding her arm . ¡± Let her go Micha , ¡± I snarled . ¡± This has nothing to do with you Everly , now stand down , ¡± ¡± Like fuck I will , now let her go ! ¡± I yelled , and he let go . This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. He appeared shocked , and s o was . My aura rushed out , and he paled , taking a step back from me , but it wore off quickly , and he snarled that Imanded him before he lunged at me . I shoved Casey toward Zoe just as he knocked me down on the ground ¡± Fuckingmand me Whore , who do you think you are ? ¡± He spat , trying to pin me when my head smashed onto the concrete . I saw stars for a second , my vision going ck and 1 heard Zoe scream before hearing a scuffle . My surroundings blurred when he was suddenly gone from on top of me . Amber¡¯s blood ¨C curdling scream made my heart thud thinking it was Casey or Zoe that got hurt when I heard the sound of flesh on flesh . I turned my head to see Marcus stand upright from pummeling Micha , who was curled i in the fetal position on the floor . ¡± Zoe , Casey ? ¡± I gasped as Amber rushed toward Micha on the ground . Marcus snarled , which made me look back at him as I got to my feet . My head was pounding and I could hear sirens in the distance heading our way . But I was too distracted b y the look on Marcus¡¯s confused face . He turned his head to the side , slightly looking around me , and I followed his gaze to see Zoe looking white as a sheet of eyes wide , and I rushed to her her paper , side and gripped her arms and shook her . ¡± Zoe ? ¡± ¡± Zoe ? ¡± Marcus repeated behind me , and her eyes were locked on his . I peeked over my shoulder at him ¡± Casey¡¯s mum , right ? ¡± Marcus asked her and Zoe nodded . I was seriously worried she was about to pass out with how mmy her skin went . Marcus yanked Micha to his feet by the front of his shirt . Amber squealed and ripped at his shirt . ¡± So you must be the father ? ¡± Micha nodded just as Marcus headbutted him . The sound of his nose breaking made me flinch , and blood spurted out when Marcus¡¯s fist connected with his jaw . Marcus let him go , and he fell to the ground in a heap just as Zoe fainted . Casey shrieked , and I only just caught her as she fell forward into me . Tires screeched to a stop as cop cars pulled up everywhere and Officer Richards jumped from the first vehicle . Marcus growled , and he backed up with his hand on his gun . ¡± Pull it , and I will end him , Richard . What will be ? ¡± Marcus growled at him . His entire body trembled as he fought the urge to shift and I looked back at the terrified Officer Richard¡¯s who looked at his bleeding son on the ground at Marcus¡¯s feet . Amber sobbed over the top of him . ¡± Whatever he did , I will see it is fixed , ¡± Officer Richard murmured with his hands up . ¡± Good , make sure he stays the fuck away from my mate , ¡± Marcus snarled before stalking toward me . He grabbed Zoe , scooping her up in his arms while I stared dumbfounded . It now made so much sense . How did I not see that ? ¡± I spent hours in the washing liquid aisle trying to find that scent , not proud to say i t , but I even tasted a few , and all I had to was follow your daughter home , hmm , ¡± Marcus said to an unconscious Zoe . ¡± Wait , Zoe is your mate ? ¡± Officer Richards asked , just as shocked . Marcus growled at him before holding out his hand to Casey , who looked up at him , his shirt drenched in her father¡¯s blood . ¡± Come on , princess , let¡¯s take mummy inside , ¡± Marcus said to her . She looked over at me , and I nodded for her to go with him and was about to check on Micha when Marcus called out to me . ¡± You to Everly , leave the bastard Valen is o In his way , ¡± Marcus said as he walked toward the Hotel doors . I rushed ahead of him and opened up the door for him when he stopped and looked back at Officer Richard¡¯s who was fussing over his son . ¡± I suggest you get him out of here , Richard . I left him breathing . Valen won¡¯t for touching his Luna , ¡± Marcus told him . Officer Richard motioned some of his men over , who were all staring at me oddly . ¡± Luna ? But she is a rogue , ¡± Amber blurted out . H ¡± Shut it , you over ¨C opinionated mutt , ¡± Officer Richards snapped at his daughter iw . My eyebrows raised at his words and two o f the other officers rushed over peeled Micha off the ground , who groaned in pain . ¡± You have done it now , boy , ¡± Officer Richards snapped at him . ¡± Ah , Everly , ¡± Marcus called as he nodded toward the next door leading out the back of the restaurant . I shut the door and rushed over to him just as I did . Zoe came t too , and projectile vomited all over the front of him ¡± Well , not the reaction I was hoping for , but still it¡¯s a reaction , ¡± Marcus said while Zoe stared wide ¨C eyed at him .. ¡± You¡¯re my , ¡± ¡± Mate , ¡± Offered Marcus , and she nodded like she thought he was a figment of her imagination . I was beginning to wonder if this whole scenario was a figment of mine too . ¡± Zoe ¡± And I just spewed on you , ¡± squeaked . Marcus looked down at the font of his shirt . He shrugged . ¡± At least I can help you shower ? ¡± Marcus chuckled . Zoe nodded , looking at him like a dear stuck in headlights . ¡± You can¡¯t shower with her . You will see her privates , ¡± Casey said , and Ipletely forgot she was there . Great observations Everly , deserve a pat on the back , I thought sarcastically . ¡± Oh right , we will shower with our clothes on , can¡¯t have that , ¡± Marcus agreed with her . Casey nodded her head , epting that answer . ¡± Want to see where we live 1 have all the trolls movies , and they have a TV show , Valerian doesn¡¯t like to watch with me , but you can , ¡± Casey said , tugging on his arm and leading him out . I followed them . My head was throbbing , and once inside , flopped on the couch and called Casey over to me while Marcus went and helped clean Zoe up . Casey rummaged through her movies , cing Trolls on , and I rested my head back on the couch and rubbed my temples . ¡± Aunty Everly , is my dad going to Jail ? ¡± ¡± I¡¯m not sure , sweety . Are you upset ? ¡± ¡± No , I don¡¯t want to go with thatdy . They tried to take me from school , mum drove really fast on the way home , and that crazy woman drove into the side of mums car in the parking lot , ¡± ¡± She what ? ¡± Casey nodded , pressing y . ¡± Yep , the school went into lockdown , she said she was my mum but I already have a mum , the school locked me in a cleaning closet until mum got there and security dragged them away , but then they chased 118 , ¡± No one is taking you from your mother , I promise , ¡± I told her holding up my finger . I would sell the damn Hotel to pay for the legal bills if needed but I doubted it woulde to that now . Casey nodded and gripped my pinky . ¡± Why wasn¡¯t valerian at school ? ¡± ¡± We slept in , ¡± I told her just as the door burst open and Macey rushed in . ¡± Oh , thank god , ¡± Macey said , running in and scooping up Casey . She hugged her tight . ¡± Where is Zoe ? Woah , what happened to you ? ¡± Macey said , looking at me . ¡± Huh ? ¡± ¡± You have a huge egg on your head , ¡± Macey shrieked , and I felt my head before touching the back and wincing . Pulling m y hand back , blood stained my fingertips . Great , that¡¯s all I need . Chapter 55 Chapter 55 My head throbbed even more as Macey watched me with worry , and she came over to me and prodded the bump on my head with her finger . Which only made it hurt more with her attempt to examine it . ¡± It¡¯s only bleeding a little ; I bet it hurts , ¡± she said , poking it again . Iughed , which caused me to clutch my head in pain . ¡± Ah , yeah , because you keep poking it , ¡± I responded . ¡± Shit ! Sorry , ¡± she chuckled and stopped . ¡± Maybe you should shift ; it may help heal it a little quicker ? ¡± Macey offered . That was thest thing I wanted to do . It always seemed like too much effort these days to shift , and I hated my wolf form , it made me feel weak . I tired quickly and didn¡¯t want to spend the rest of the day like a zombie because I shifted for a meager bump to the head . ¡± Maybeter , we still have heaps of work today , oh the morgue . Was it Emily ? ¡± I asked her . With everything going on , I forgot to ask her . Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡± No , it was some homeless woman . She She must have stolen some of Emily¡¯s clothes . I recognized the tie ¨C dyed shirt , but it wasn¡¯t her , ¡± Macey told me , and I let out a breath of relief . Thank the heavens . However , it still left me wondering what happened to her and what was happening i In this city . So many people were missing , and I was beginning to worry something bigger was going on that we weren¡¯t aware of or grasping fully . Murders were rare , disappearances rarer i In this city , yet multiple have happened in thest few weeks . More problematic was the amount of forsaken trying to get into the city . What were they running from ? They mostly stayed away . Lately , there have been repeated attempts to breach the city¡¯s borders . Also , even the forsaken that had been tagged and tracked had gone missing without a trace . ¡± What are you thinking ? ¡± Macey asked , sitting down on the couch beside me . I shook my head ; I had no idea what to think . These days , it seemed like it was drama after drama . I looked at her about t o answer when both Macey and I tensed . Both of us looked in the hallway¡¯s direction . Macey¡¯s head turned to me before she covered Casey¡¯s ears and mouthed . ¡± Are they ? ¡± she nodded toward the hall . My lips pressed together in a line as I listened to the noises down the hall , trying not tough . Casey , none the wiser , looked at us . ¡± How about ice cream ? Let¡¯s get ice cream , ¡± Macey said , scooping up Casey . ¡± But I wanted to show Marcus the Trolls movie , ¡± Caseyined before jutting out her bottom lip as she pouted . The noises became slightly more audible , and Macey hurried to the door before she stopped and nced at me . ¡± Tell Zoe I have Casey , ¡± she eximed , rushing out the door before I could protest . Why do I have to tell her ? I groaned and got to my feet before making my way down the hall . I tapped on the door and heard things that would haunt m y memory . Zoe was like mine and Macey¡¯s little sister , and there were some things w e just didn¡¯t want the mental image of . And this was one of those things , especially when she made those sorts of noises . I nched . I cleared my throat and knocked again . ¡± A h , Zoe , Macey has Casey while you um ¡­. she just has Casey , ¡± I told her before rushing away and out of my apartment . Safely outside , I made my way back to the main building and headed toward the restaurant . I had just stepped inside when the door leading in from the front burst open , and Valen stepped inside looking furious . His eyes scanned around the ce before they fell on me and the relief on his face was clear . ¡± I¡¯m fine , ¡± I said with a wave of my hand as he rushed over to me . A fewte stragglers hade in for ate lunch and peered over at us , and I smacked Valen¡¯s hand away as he reached out to me . He went to say something before he noticed we had an audience in here , and we were prime entertainment . ¡± What happened ? ¡± Valen asked . He grabbed my elbow as he led me out of the restaurant and down the hall toward my office . I spotted Casey and Macey in the creche with bowls of ice cream . Casey waved as we passed the ss window , and I smiled and waved back . ¡± It¡¯s handled , Valen . Marcus handled it ; Micha and Amber came and tried to take Casey . I got knocked over , and I am fine , ¡® ¡± 1 I told him as he stuffed me through my office door . ¡± Marcus said you were hurt , ¡± he said while examining me over while I rolled m y eyes . ¡± I am not a child . You don¡¯t need to check me and kiss away my pains , ¡± I growled as he poked and prodded me . ¡± Wait , where is Vrian ? ¡± ¡± With my father , I called him over to watch him for me , ¡± I sighed . ¡± He is a good father , Everly ; you don¡¯t need to worry about my father . I trust him with our son , ¡± Valen told me . Giving Kalen the benefit of the doubt , I let it go . H e had never shown signs he was a threat t o our son and also told me he wanted to be part of his life . ¡± And where is Micha now ? ¡± Valen asked . ¡± His father took him away . It¡¯s sorted ; just leave it be . ¡± ¡± I won¡¯t do that . Micha is part of my pack , and he will be punished ¡± ¡± Punished how , Valen ? You can¡¯t go killing people over a dispute . ¡± ¡± He hurt you , ¡± ¡± Valen snarled . ¡± I am fine , but you may have to speak to Micha about keeping his mouth shut and Amber because they are aware we are mates now . Marcus hammered him pretty good ; I don¡¯t think he needs another beating . ¡± ¡± Wait , where is Marcus ? ¡± Valen asked , only now recognizing he wasn¡¯t with me . Iughed and cupped my mouth , and Valen stared at me . ¡± What ? ¡± ¡± Zoe and Marcus are mates , ¡± I chuckled . His eyebrows almost disappeared into his hairline before a thoughtful expression crossed his face . ¡± Huh , now that exins the sniffing , ¡± he murmured . ¡± That makes so much sense . How did I not figure that out ? ¡± He said . I thought the exact same thing , both of their weird behavior made it even more apparent that they were mates while poor Casey was stuck in the middle of their sniffest . I chuckled , making my headache worse , and I winced before walking to my desk in search of painkillers . Valen gripped my hand when I pulled out the packet of paracetamol . ¡± You said you weren¡¯t hurt , ¡± he growled . ¡± I bumped my head , just a headache , ¡± told him , snatching my hand out of his grip . Valen stared at me before a growl escaped him , and he started prodding the bump on the back of my head . ¡± I¡¯ll fucking kill him , ¡± he snapped , storming out of the room before I could stop him . ¡± Wait , Valen . Just leave it be , ¡± I shrieked , chasing after him as he made his way outside to his car . His car beeped as he unlocked the doors before tossing the doors open and I raced t o the other side . ¡± Valen , stop . Let it go , ¡± I said climbing in the passenger side . ¡± Get out , ¡± Valen growled . Fur was growing along his arms as he fought to remain in his human form . His eyes flickered with his rage , and I canines protruded . ¡± No ! ¡° ¡± Everly ! ¡± ¡± No , Valen . Either Ie with you , or you 11 don¡¯t go . ¡± Everly ! ¡± Valen snapped , and I raised an eyebrow at him . ¡± I won¡¯t let you hurt him or do something you can¡¯t undo . It was a dispute , that is over now , and no one needs to die over a bumped head , ¡± I told him . Valen¡¯s ws slipped from his nail ¨C beds , he clenched his fists on the steering wheel . He went to say something else , and I red at him . ¡± ¡± Micha is Casey¡¯s father . He may be a shitty one , but he is still her father . You hurt him , and it could upset her , so no . You will not touch him or whatever it is you were nning on doing to the idiot , ¡® I snapped at him . Valen seemed shocked b y my outburst , but retaliating would only worsen things . And Zoe didn¡¯t need the added drama when she was about to enter a custody battle against him . This would just add more fuel to the fire . ¡± ¡± You can¡¯t expect me to do nothing , ¡± ¡± That¡¯s exactly what I expect . The issue is over . Officer Richards looked like he was going to give him hell anyway over the drama he caused . seemed genuinely embarrassed over his son¡¯s actions and n o doubt would deal with him , ¡± ¡± As his Alpha , I can¡¯t let it slide when he hurt my mate , ¡± Valen snarled . ¡± And as his Luna , I won¡¯t allow you to kill him , ¡± I retorted and he seemed taken aback by my words .. ¡± Are you trying to pull rank over me ? ¡± He scoffed . ¡± Not trying , I am . If you hurt him , Valen , i t will just cause more issues . I don¡¯t want the pack hating me before I even join it . Micha and his father are well respected in your pack and this city . I sure as hell don¡¯t want to walk in , disturbing the peace straight away , just because he hurt me before he realized who I was , ¡± I tell him . Valen seemed to calm down and folded his arms across his chest , turning slightly to look at me . ¡± So you are my Luna ? ¡± ¡± Shut up , and take me to my son , ¡± I told him . He didn¡¯t start the car ; instead , Valen continued to stare at me while I stared out the window , trying to ignore his gaze . ¡± I can¡¯t believe you are trying to pull rank over me , and you haven¡¯t even let me mark you yet , ¡± he chuckled . I folded my arms across my chest and turned to my head to look at him . ¡± So what will it be , Alpha ? ¡± I asked , and he clicked his tongue and shook his head , muttering under his breath . ¡± Oh , so now we are turning to ckmail ? ¡± He chuckled . ¡± Yep , you want a Luna ; I don¡¯t want blood on my hands , ¡± ¡± 1 ¡± Technically , his blood would be on my hands , not yours . I wouldn¡¯t want you to break a nail , ¡± Valen taunted . ¡± Broken nails never fazed me , but you make things worse , and I may just have to change my mind on this entire Luna business , ¡± I tell him . ¡± Is that so ? ¡± ¡± Yep , ¡± I tell him . He scratched his chin . ¡± It¡¯s not up for discussion , ¡± I told him when he opened up his mouth to argue . What about apromise ? ¡± ¡± That would make it up for discussion , ¡± h e chuckled and shrugged . ¡± I won¡¯t hurt him , ¡± he growled thest part out , clearly not liking it . ¡± If ? ¡± I stared at him , and he smirked before a cocky smile split onto his face . ¡± If what ? ¡± I asked , ring over at him , knowing he would ask for something that he knew I wouldn¡¯t want to agree to . ¡± You give me a kiss , ¡® ¡± You want a kiss ? ¡± ¡± Yep , that¡¯s my deal . Take it or leave it , ¡± ¡± What , right now , here ? ¡± I asked , looking around and praying for an excuse that someone was around . I found nobody . ¡± One kiss ! ¡± I told him and he smiled triumphantly . ¡± One kiss , ¡± he repeated . I pressed my lips i n a line and red at him . Heughed and mid ¨Cugh , I leaned over and pecked his lips before sitting back in my seat . ¡± They¡¯re done , ¡± I chuckled . ¡± Ah . that¡¯s not what I meant by a kiss ¡° ¡± A kiss is a kiss ¡± I told him . ¡± That is not what I meant , and you know i t , I have kissed my father better than that . He growled . ¡± You kiss your father ? ¡± ¡± ¡± That came out wrong . I meant on the cheek , in greeting , not a romantic way ! ¡± Iughed . ¡± What , you don¡¯t kiss people ? ¡± he asked . ¡± Well , I don¡¯t kiss my father , that¡¯s for sure , ¡± I said . ¡± Stop it , you know what I meant , ¡± Valen said , bing embarrassed at his word vomit . It was strange to feel him through the bond , although I liked that he was the one who was embarrassed for once . ¡± I know what you meant , and I think it is sweet that you give good old dad a peck on the cheek . Bet that makes him happy that you haven¡¯t outgrown your father¡¯s love , ¡± I tell him . I didn¡¯t want him to think I thought it weird . It was totally eptable . It just shocked me that he was that close t o his father . Although neither of them appeared too affectionate , Valen was always happy to receive and give our son hugs and affection . It made me think of m father when I was still his daughter , not his biggest shame . He , too , was a good father and never turned our affections away until I got pregnant and went from daddy¡¯s little girl to daddy¡¯s Rogue ¨C whore daughter . But I was d he had a strong rtionship with his father . That would never be a bad thing . Though it made the entire Vrie mess more upsetting , knowing how much it would hurt Valen to know his father lied to him all these years . ¡± So about this kiss you cheated me out of ? ¡± Valen chuckled . ¡± I did not cheat you . You cheated yourself , ¡± I told Valen as I motioned for him to start the car . ¡± I kissed you . It¡¯s done ; now let¡¯s go . I need to get back to do some work , ¡± I told him . ¡± Fine , but you owe me a kiss still , and a ¡± Valen taunted while starting proper one , ¡® the car . ¡± And I will make you pay up , ¡± he added as he reversed out . I chuckled and shook my head at his words. Chapter 56 Chapter 56 We drove through the City , but when Valen didn¡¯t turn onto his territory , I nced over at him . Wondering where we were going when he stopped at the police station on the City¡¯s main drag . ¡± You¡¯re doing this now ? ¡± I asked as he unclipped his seatbelt . ¡± Yes , Officer Richard¡¯s mind ¨C linked and said his son and Amber are still here . I told him to hold them until I got here , ¡± Valen said before getting out of the car . I rushed to unclip my seatbelt and jumped out , and he started walking up the steps . M y heart raced in my chest at the thought of what he would do . ¡± You said you wouldn¡¯t hurt him , ¡± I gushed , racing after him and gripping his arm . He kept walking into the building , and some officers opened the door for him as they came out . They tipped their hats to him and continued to their patrol cars . I shook my head and looked at Valen . ¡± I said I won¡¯t , though I bloody want to . But Amber is part of your father¡¯s pack , and Micha is joining it . So if you want her to keep her mouth shut , I need to speak to them and Officer Richards , ¡± Valen exined , and I sighed a breath of relief Valen didn¡¯t bother speaking to anyone , h e just navigated his way around like he owned the ce . N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. He probably did , I wouldn¡¯t put anything out of his price range . When we came to a locked ¨C off area . Valen tapped on the perspex window , and the officer , who looked half asleep , jolted upright in his seat , nearly falling out of it . He quickly reached over and hit a button , and Valen opened the door and held it open for me . He then grabbed my hand , leading me down the long corridor before I came to some holding cells . Officer Richard leaned against one , and he stood straighter as Valen entered . Baring his neck to Valen . Amber sat in the chair behind a desk and red at me . Valen growled at her , and she dropped her head quickly . ¡± Alpha , I have spoken to him , and he has reassured me it won¡¯t happen again , ¡± Officer Richard said while shooting a re at Amber . ¡± No , it won¡¯t . I want them both kept here until after the Alpha meeting , ¡± Valen said before turning to Amber ¡± And in cells , ¡± he said . Officer Richards nodded to two men , and Amber jumped up and shrieked . The noise hurt my ears as they grabbed her . They dragged her kicking and screaming toward the cell Micha was ced in while she chucked a full ¨C blown tantrum worse than a toddler . Valen growled and stepped toward them before gripping her face . ¡± You can¡¯tmand me . You are not my Alpha , ¡± she sneered , and I could see his rage as his entire body trembled and the back of his shirt ripped as he tried not to shift . Her eyes widened with fear and 1 swallowed , actually feeling bad for her despite the trouble she caused . ¡± Be d I¡¯m not because if I was , I would have stripped you of your title . But your mate is one of my men , and if you don¡¯t get your ass in that cell , the only ce you will see him is in the forsaken territory , ¡± Valen snarled at her . She gasped , and her eyes flicked to Micha in horror . He shoved her face away , and the officers let her go . Officer Richards opened the cell , and she turned her nose up and walked in as if she wasn¡¯t just humiliated or embarrassed herself while acting like a fool . Valen turned toward the cell where Micha was . He was bruised and bloody , but mostly healed from the beating he received from Marcus . Micha cowered when Valen turned his icy re on him . Valen¡¯s shirt was torn , and his skin rippled as he tried to contain himself . ¡± Consider yourself lucky , Micha , that your Luna is forgiving . You and I both know I am not . The only reason you are still breathing is because of her , so do you have anything to say ? ¡± Valen asked him . Micha turned his head toward me , stuttered out an apology , and thanked me for sparing him . I just stared in disbelief . ¡± Now , either of you speaks one word of Everly being my mate to anyone . You and your entire families will be considered a traitor and made forsaken , am I clear ? ¡± Amber looked at me but nodded her head . ¡± Take their phones and print off the ¡± ¡± custody forms , ¡± ¡± Custody forms ? ¡± Amber asked , standing up . Micha growled at her , and Officer Richards red at her . ¡± Yes , Micha will sign all parental rights to Zoe for Casey and drop the custody battle . I expect all relevant documentation to be filled out , signed , and filed when I return after the Alpha meeting . ¡± After the Alpha meeting , I am meant to b e attending , ¡® ¡± Tell your father you have food poisoning . I don¡¯t care , but neither of you will leave this cell until after . If I hear one whisper around this City that Everly is my mate , both of you will no longer live in this City , ¡± Valen said , before turning to m e . Officer Richard cleared his throat , and Valen looked at him . ¡± Um , Alpha , if Micha signs all rights away , does that mean my wife and I can¡¯t see her either ? It would break my wife¡¯s heart , Alpha , ¡± ¡± I never said he couldn¡¯t see her , but I want it all legal , so he can¡¯t take her from Zoe . If Zoe allows it , I don¡¯t see an issue with any of you remaining part of Casey¡¯s life , and that goes for Micha . If those papers aren¡¯t signed and sent off , and a copy waiting when I return , I will send your son Rogue , and he will leave my City , that¡¯s if I don¡¯t decide to kill him , ¡± Valen warned him . ¡± The relevant documents will be here when you return , Alpha . Thank you , ¡® Officer Richard said , before ring at his son and Amber . The other officers bared their necks , and Valen nodded before tugging me out of the room and back down the corridor . ¡± Would you really make them forsaken ? ¡± I asked once back in the car . ¡± Yes , and yes , I would have killed him if you didn¡¯t make me promise not to , ¡® ¡± ¡± Valen answered . He tugged off his torn shirt and tossed it in the back , before pulling away from the curb . ¡± Are we going to get Vrian now ? ¡± Valen nodded , but by the stern steel gaze he had out the window , and the burning rage I felt through the bond , I knew he was fighting with himself not to go back and tear Micha apart . Just as we were about to turn up the street toward Valen¡¯s ce , my phone rang . Macey¡¯s name popped up on the screen , and I quickly answered it. Chapter 57 Chapter 57 ¡± I will be back soon , ¡± I said when I answered ¡± No , it¡¯s fine . I got someone in to cover you . I figured you were concussed , but Zoe isn¡¯t answering , and 1 am on tonight , and mum has hurt her knee again , so she can¡¯t watch both girls . Can you and Valen please , please ,e to get Casey for the night ? ¡± ¡± What do you mean Zoe isn¡¯t answering ? Did you knock on the door ? ¡± Macey cleared her throat before speaking i na hushed voice . ¡± I did , but I don¡¯t think she could hear me over all the showering soundsing from the house , ¡± she hissed . I snorted . Who would have thought ? ¡± They are like damn rabbits . I have been u p there twice now , and I swear my ears are bleeding . Anyone would think we are running a brothel with the noises leaving your apartment , ¡± ¡± What¡¯s a brothel , Aunty Macey ? ¡± I heard Casey asked in the background . ¡± Ah , a ce where people get foot massages , ¡± Macey answers awkwardly . Valen chuckles but turns the car around , hearing her . ¡± Yep , we are on our way now . Meet us out the front , ¡± I tell her . ¡± Thank God , but you need to talk to her , ¡± ¡± Why do I have to talk to her ? You¡¯re the eldest ? ¡± I told her . ¡± Because I can¡¯t say anything after what you saw the other day and don¡¯t say you didn¡¯t tell Zoe . I know you did , and you¡¯re the only one not getting .. foot messages around here , ¡± Macey corrects herself . ¡± Ah no , you talk to her , ¡± ¡± I will scissor paper rock you for it , ¡± ¡± Fine deal , but don¡¯t cry when I win , like I always do . ¡± Valen raises an eyebrow at me and shakes his head . I say goodbye and hang up the phone . ¡± Are you two seriously going to fight over who is giving Zoe the sex talk ? ¡± ¡± Yes , unless you want to do it ? ¡± I asked hopefully . ¡± Not a chance . Wait , what do I get for it if I do ? ¡± Valen asked , and I folded my arms . I was not making any more deals with the devil , and I know he would pick his words wisely if I did , so I couldn¡¯t get out of it . W e pulled up out the front , and Macey was waiting out front with a bag for Casey . ¡± I chucked some of Taylor¡¯s spare clothes in it for her , and school was canceled . I just got the notification because of a covid case , ¡± I sighed and nodded . Damn pandemic . Macey buckled Casey in , before stopping a t my window and holding her fist out . I rolled my eyes , and we quickly yed rock , paper , scissors while Valenughed a tus . Macey fist ¨C pumped the air when her scissors cut my paper . ¡± No ! ¡± I cried . ¡± Sucker , I finally beat you , ¡± she said , doing a victory dance and shaking her ass at me . I shook my head in defeat . ¡± I expect a total reenactment of the cringingness of that talk and proper behavior in our hotel , ¡± Macey said triumphantly . ¡± ¡± Fine , but you get the next awkward talk . ¡± ¡± No , way , thest talk still haunts me when I had to exin to both you girls the importance of pap smears . ¡± ¡± } ¡± You could have just told us you didn¡¯t have to diagrams and or reenact on our dining room table . I haven¡¯t looked at the table the same , and you owe me a desk , ¡± I tell her . ¡± If I have to give you girls awkward talks , I will be thorough . Vrie always said get your facts straight , and I did that , ¡± Macey said . ¡± We were mortified , ¡± ¡± Vrie thought it was pretty funny , even help me do the diagram , ¡± Maceyughed . I chuckled . ¡± Damn , she sounds like a cool olddy , ¡± Valen said , and both Macey and I froze , forgetting entirely about Valen and how casually we spoke of his mother . 17 ¡± She was . She was a marvelous woman , ¡± Macey said with a sad smile . I nodded before saying goodbye . ¡± Love you , Casey , ¡± Macey called . Casey waved . ¡± Love you too , ¡± Casey retorted , blowing her a kiss . Valen drove out and back onto the highway and Casey leaned forward in her seat . ¡± Look , Uncle Valen , I brought Trolls . Aunty Macey said I could because it is your favorite , ¡± she said , holding up the DVD to show him . ¡± Uncle Valen ? ¡± I asked her . ¡± Hmm , Aunty Macey said he was your boyfriend and would marry you one day . ¡± ¡± Did she now ? ¡± I asked . ¡± Yep , so that makes him my uncle , but if h e is my uncle , how will I marry Vrian ? Wouldn¡¯t that make him my cousin ? Though Taylor said she is and that I would have to marry Uncle Fester from the Addams family , I told her na ah , I a m , ¡± Casey said . I snickered , and I saw Valen smile as he nced at her in the mirror . ¡± My boy is ady¡¯s man . ¡± I smacked his thigh , and he grabbed my hand before I could pull it away . He kissed the back of it when he lifted it to his lips , before keeping hold of it on hisp . ¡± So can we watch Trolls when we get to your ce ? ¡± Casey asked . ¡± Yes , we can watch it on repeat , if you like , ¡± I told her . ¡± Yay , Vrian is going to be so excited about our sleepover , ¡® ¡± ¡± ¡± Casey , you live with Vrian . Every night is a sleepover , ¡± I chuckle . ¡± Oh , right ? I guess it is , ¡± she said , bouncing happily in the back of the car . The drive was short , and I was looking forward to lying down . N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Yawning , I stepped out of the elevator and followed Valen to his apartment . He unlocked the door , and the first thing I could smell was pancakes . My brows furrowed , and I followed Valen i n with Casey , who ran ahead . ¡± Ah , not trolls , ¡± I heard Vrian whine . ¡± Oh , where did youe from , little one ? ¡± I heard Kalen¡¯s voice . Casey pointed to us down the hall , and Kalen walked over and looked at us . ¡± I¡¯m Casey , and I came with them , ¡± ¡± Oh , you¡¯re back . We were making pancakes , ¡± Kalen said , before rushing back to the kitchen as he ted up . ¡± Pancakes and ice cream for dinner , dad , really ? ¡± ¡± You neverined when you were a kid , ¡± Kalen told him . ¡± Want some ? I made heaps , ¡± he said , pulling a huge tray off the stove . Valen shook his head . ¡± Why not , pancakes for dinner , it is ¡± Valenughed . then , ¡± Kalen was dressed in a suit with a white apron on and chef hat . He looked alien standing in the kitchen . ¡± And some for Miss Casey , ¡± Kalen said , handing her a te . Both kids raced excitedly toward the table with their tes . When Kalen shocked me as I walked to the sink , wanting to get a ss o f water . He hugged me and pecked me on the cheek , while I remained stiff and still as a statue . ¡± Everly dear , so happy to see you again , ¡± he chirped . I looked at Valen , who shrugged and tried to steal a pancake from the tray . His father smacked his hand with the egg flip . ¡± Let me te it up the way you used to like , ¡± he scolded , and I chuckled while Valen seemed to pout before stealing one . ¡± You rotten little sod , ¡± Kalen barked at him . ¡± Has no manners , Everly , anyone would think a Neanderthal raised him , ¡± Kalen said , shaking his head , while making Valen¡¯s pancakes with a choc chip smiley face with two blobs of ice ¨C cream for ears . Chapter 58 Chapter 58 We ate dinner, or should I say breakfast, for dinner. Kalen was reluctant to leave and was very hands-on, ying with the kids, but we needed to get them showered and dressed for bed, so Kalen said his goodbyes and left, stating he would see us at the Alpha meeting. ¡°Vrian, time for a shower, buddy, then you have to go to bed,¡± Valen told him. Vrian got up off the lounge, and Casey followed. C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. ¡°Casey, you will have to wait until he hops out,¡± I told her. ¡°But mum showered with Marcus with clothes on. Why can¡¯t I shower with Vrian?¡± Vrian scrunched his face up while I just looked at Valen, hoping he would exin, but it was Vrian that answered her. ¡°Gosh, you can be silly, Casey. People don¡¯t shower with clothes on. How would you get clean,¡± Vrian asked while shaking his head. ¡°Na, Marcus did. He told me he was showering with clothes on with mum,¡± ¡°Probably because he didn¡¯t want to tell you he was making babies with Aunty Zoe,¡± ¡°You can¡¯t make babies in a shower, wait how do you make babies?¡± Casey asked, and both of them looked at us. Well, that diverted quickly. Valen cleared his throat and pulled at the neckline of his shirt, ufortable with the direction the conversation had gone. ¡°And how does the baby get in there?¡± ¡°Ah, must I tell you everything? The man takes the baby and puts it in a cabbage, the woman eats the cabbage, and her belly gets fat,¡± Vrian says. Valen raised an eyebrow at his exnation while I tried not tough. ¡°That¡¯s not how babies are made; you got that of that cartoon, the one the cabbage patch dolls,¡± Casey argued. ¡®Well, how else would mum have a baby,¡± Vrian retorted. ¡°Fine, they would know. Ask your parents,¡± Casey huffed and pouted. I snickered as I bailed, leaving that for Valen to find a way out of. Starting to clean the kitchen, both kids looked at Valen expectantly, who seemed very ufortable. ¡°Um, they just happen,¡± Valen said; that was his big exnation to the birds and the bees. ¡°But how?¡± Casey asked. ¡°By showering together,¡± Valen blurted. ¡°See, I told you, Marcus was making babies in the shower,¡± ¡°You said the man puts the baby in a cabbage, so if he is showering, where does the cabbage come from,¡± Casey asks, and Vrian seems to think. ¡°I don¡¯t know, let¡¯s g****e it,¡± Vrian says, racing to the table for his father¡¯sptop. However, Valen was quick to get to his feet and snatch theptop up before he could grab it. ¡°No, it is bedtime. Shower now,¡± ¡°But we want to know,¡± Vrian whined. Valen scrubs a hand down his face before looking over at me and ring at me, and I smirk. ¡°Yes, best exin how babies are made, Alpha,¡± I chuckled, and he growled at me while both kids waited for him to answer. Valen dropped onto the couch with a sigh. ¡°Well, when a man and woman love each other, they do grown-up things which make a baby,¡± ¡°What grown-up things?¡± Vrian asked, suddenly very interested in this topic of conversation. ¡°Like um, kissing and hugging, and adult wrestling,¡± Valen offered, and the kids pulled grossed out faces. ¡°Wait is mum kissing Marcus in the shower with clothes on, ¡± Casey asked. ¡°Ah Casey, I told you people don¡¯t shower with their clothes on,¡± Vrian asked. ¡°Yeah, they do. Or Marcus would see mum¡¯s private parts,¡± ¡°So! People see private parts all the time when they shift. Remember that hippydy out at the reserve, she took her clothes off before shifting, and we saw her butt, and her big hairy front butt,¡± ¡°Huh, you¡¯re so smart, Vrian; I forgot about that,¡± Casey says. ¡°But if mum and Marcus are kissing in the shower, oh, oh, oh I am going to be a big sister, I always wanted to be a sister,¡± ¡°Where are we going to fit a sister? Our house is too small, and no baby is sleeping in my room,¡± huffed Vrian before he shook his head, walking off to the bathroom. ¡°I¡¯m going to be a sister, I¡¯m going to be a sister,¡± Caseyughed and danced in the living room. ¡°I say let Zoe break the news about being a sister, and thanks for the help, by the way,¡± Valen said,ing over and grabbing a tea towel and drying the dishes as I washed them. ¡°You are aware I have a dishwasher?¡± he asked. ¡°Yep, I needed an escape. Dishes sounded like a good one,¡± I told him. After the kids were showered and dressed for bed, I helped tidy up their dining room and living room mess. ¡°Are you staying in our room, or?¡± Valen asked hopefully. ¡°Yes, and you mean your room. I don¡¯t live here,¡± ¡°Yet,¡± Valen says, and I shake my head at him. ¡°Besides, Zoe will need the extra space since Casey is going to be a big sister,¡± Valen chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m sure Marcus has an apartment or ce?¡± ¡°Nope, he prefers to stay at the packhouse,¡± ¡°Well, if by chance they decide to have kids, I will move out into one of the other ts at the hotel,¡± I tell him. ¡°It¡¯s not if by chance, more like when they have kids. Marcus has always been vocal about wanting kids. And why would you move into another apartment when you can move in here,¡± ¡°Valen,¡± ¡°What, you said so yourself that the media will go crazy when we announce we are mates, I could imagine the stories already if we don¡¯t live together, Everly,¡± Valen said, picking up all the pencils that fell under the table. ¡°We can work it out,¡± I tell him watching him set the pencils into their rightful ces. That would take all night if he nned on putting them in their selected spot. Shaking my head, I took them from him and jammed them in any order. His jaw clenched, and I knew he wanted to sort them, but Casey would only pull them out again. ¡®Or you can stop being so damn stubborn and move in here, ¡°I happen to like being on my own; I don¡¯t have to answer to anyone besides I have the Hotel so I need to be at the Hotel,¡± ¡°Then I will move in with you,¡± Valen says. ¡°What part of I like my independence don¡¯t you get?¡± ¡°The independence part because we are mates, Everly. Mates live together, not in separate ces besides Vrian likes it here, and I want to be with my son,¡± ¡°I swear, Valen, if you pull shit like Micha, I will lose it,¡± ¡°Then don¡¯t make me. Vrian can¡¯t go from house to house just because your too stubborn about living with me. Either, we are mates, or we are not, Everly. So make up your mind,¡± Valen snapped. ¡°I am not saying you can¡¯t see him; I am just saying I don¡¯t want to live with you,¡± ¡°I am sick and tired of your mixed signals, one minute, you¡¯re saying you will be my Luna, and now this,¡± Valen growled before he stormed off angrily, I felt terrible because of the stupid bond. Chapter 59 Chapter 59 Valen came back a few minutester with a towel before marching into the bathroom and shutting the door while muttering under his breath. I heard the shower start and sighed. He had a point, though. The media would go insane over two mates, especially one holding status in the city but living apart. The scandals it would lead to, and I could only imagine the spection it would cause and the rift once everyone found out I was, in fact, Alpha John¡¯s daughter. That was another thing I was also worried about because it woulde out. Secrets always do, they never remain hidden, and I know it would alle out when they dug into my past. Yet the thought of having to answer to someone irked me, and living with Valen, I knew I would have to, plus he could pull rank over me, yet the stories that would be in the papers. I could already imagine the headlines. ¡® Pack rivalry keeping mates apart.¡¯ ¡®Valen¡¯s cheating ways¡¯ ¡®Trouble with the notorious Alpha¡¯ stupid shit and that would be stacked on top of the ¡®Everly the gold digger trapping the Alpha.¡¯ ones. F*ck! I never thought of the different scenarios, and now they appeared endless. Valen walked out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist. He ignored me, and I could feel he was upset. I chewed my lip before getting up off the couch, wandering down the hall toward his bedroom, and pushing the door open. Valen was getting ready for bed as he pulled the sheets back. ¡°If you areing in here to tell me you don¡¯t want to live with me or to give more bullshit excuses, Everly, I don¡¯t want to hear it,¡± Valen said, climbing in bed and tugging the nkets up. He turned away from me, facing the wall, and I sighed before showering myself and returning to the room. I rummaged through his closet for a shirt to wear before climbing in bed with him. Through the bond, I could tell he was still festering over our argument and very much awake as he kept his back to me. ¡°You said earlier you wanted to be my Luna. How do you expect to do that if we live separately?¡± he said. ¡°The Alpha meeting is in two days. What do you expect me to tell everyone? Everly and I are mates, but it¡¯splicated? This isn¡¯t like updating a F******k status Everly; I get you don¡¯t want me to mark you yet, but at least f*cking try,¡± I remained quiet, pondering over my tho ughts and his words when he rolled over to face me. ¡°What are you afraid I will do, that you keep refusing to try and make this work?¡± Valen asked. There were plenty of things I was afraid of, Valen taking control of ever thing in my life when I only just got some semnce of the normal back in it. I was scared of him taking my son and me losing the hotel and everyone who relies on that ce, worried about the rogue woman losing everything when they have no jobs because I failed them. But most of all, I was afraid of ending up back in a shitbox car living in the train station parking lot with Vrian. I was scared of losing everything, just like I had. Going back to having nothing and no one, at least with how things are, he can¡¯t control everything. He can¡¯t take it from me. This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. ¡°Anything I say will sound like an excuse,¡± I tell him and he sighs. Unless you had lived with the hopelessness of failing at everything and having no one to rely on, you couldn¡¯t understand how terrifying it is to allow someone else to have even the slightest bit of control when you worked so hard to get where you are. Moving in with Valen would be trusting him not to break me again, not to take everything I worked hard for away from me, trusting him not to throw me away like trash like my family did. ¡°Try to exin, I want to understand Everly, no bullshit just tell me,¡± Valen breathed, frustrated. ¡°I lost everything for our son, everything Valen. I had no one and o my him until I found that ce. No one helped me until Vrie, my own father, couldn¡¯t bear the sight of me. Society disyed me as some vile homewrecking whore; I lived with that. The other rogue women lived with that. I won¡¯t lose it all, I won¡¯t go back to that ce where I let myself think I would have help, only to find out I wouldn¡¯t and that everything could be taken away from me,¡± I answered honestly. I used to use the excuse it was his cheating, the fact he didn¡¯t recognize me, but deep down it had nothing to with that because he was here now, he proved he would stay, it was my own thoughts that ruined everything, I knew it was toxic, and my own safety mechanism but it was the truth. Until you hit rock bottom and wed your way back, no one can tell you not to fear ending up back there again. And that thought terrified me, I had too much to lose now, and if I did, I would lose everything, including my son. ¡°But no one is taking anything from you, Everly,¡± ¡°You did. I know that it¡¯s in the past, I know you want to make up for it, but it f*cking haunts me. Do you have any idea how lonely it is when you have a baby relying on you to keep it alive and fed when you have nothing and no one to help? Then to feel so selfish for forcing that life on a child. Choosing yourself over your own kid because you can¡¯t bear the heartbreak of giving them up, you can¡¯t bear the thought of letting someone else raise them, I lived with that guilt of thinking I was destroying my son, so I dam n near k*lled myself to earn the right to be his mother, one he deserved, I created a life for us, I won¡¯t lose it,¡± I tell him. ¡°You do deserve him, and none of that will happen again; I am here now,¡± Valen says. ¡°Yes, you are, but what happens once you mark me? You make me give up the hotel? Take it from me, from them. Before Vrian, I was oblivious to how this city was run, like any other Alpha. Shunned the rogue whores until I found myself one of them. Zoe, Macey, and I, we built that ce. I won¡¯t allow you to take it from us, from those that work there. I won¡¯t just quit because you want a Luna. And I know you expect that. You expect that because it is what is taught to us. Luna¡¯s abide by their AIpha. The Alpha has control. No one should have that son of power over someone else,¡± ¡°You think I will make you give it up?¡± Valen asks. ¡°Yes, but I am also worried about what they will think when I be one of those that suppressed them in the first ce. You marking me doesn¡¯t just affect me; it affects them when I be what society wants, what you want,¡± I tell him. ¡°What do you want then?¡± ¡°What I want is for my son not to be ashamed because he is rogue, I want the stereotypes gone. I want everything I have worked for to mean something so our son can say she tried. She had nothing but made something, something that made a difference, and that is why I don¡¯t want you marking me. It will be like throwing everything we worked hard for away if you make me give it up, to toss what I was trying to change away, and all of them will go back to being just another rogue whore, and I will just be another selfish Alpha,¡± I tell him. ¡°I just want my mate Everly, that is all,¡± ¡°You say that now until everyone stans putting pressure on you to force me to conform to their ways, you think I will remain quiet in Alpha meetings? When do they speak garbage against the way they treat rogue-whores or when the packs bring in anotherw that restricts them more, like the stupid schooling cuts they madest year? It will cause an uproar, one that will reflect poorly on you because you can¡¯t keep your Luna in line. You pull rank over me, Valen. You will have control, and when they kick up a stink that I a m speaking against the way they have lived for decades, I know you will use it against me,¡± I tell him clutching my head. Everything was so f*cked up, and the stress was beginning to get to me, the stress of the mate bond, the hotel, people going missing, my father and this stupid Alpha meeting. Tears burned my eyes, I was so sick and tired of the responsibility but at the same time I needed to keep going. ¡°No, you think you know, Everly. I am not trying to take anything from you; use your title how you want. F*ck, abolish thews for all I care, I¡¯ll even help you,¡± I scoff and drop my hands and look over at him. That would go down well, the media would tear shreds off him, his pack would be aughingstock. I shake my head. He seems to think it is so easy. That I should just ept him because his title could help, but it could also destroy everything. Valen sighs and sits up on his elbow and looks down at me. ¡°I mean it, Everly, you want to help the rogues. What better position than one of power? Change thews, change their views but do it with me by your side and in your corner, you think you have to solve all their problems yourself; you don¡¯t.¡± ¡°You backing me would stan a war, Valen. Wars never solved anything just got innocent people k*lled,¡± ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right. But then those wars ended up in history books and became everyone¡¯s turning point; A reflection of how we messed up and a ce to see the error of their ways. You¡¯re worried about war? The packs are always at war, but why not go to war for something that will hold value, give a future to someone who otherwise had none? You have my pack. They will fight for you if you are my Luna, they will fight for the rogues,¡± My brows crease as I think over his words, yet him saying it and allowing it after he marked me are two different things. ¡°one thing I have realized since meeting you is that the rogues hold just as much value, and are capable of more than they realize, because not one of your people have ever talked down to me, treated me differently or those that enter your doors, they treat everyone with kind ness even though they are shown none, you want to change thews, change things for the rogues then let me help you,¡± ¡°You could go back on your word, though, Valen,¡± I whispered. He could ruin everything because me taking that title gives him everything I own, what the rogues own. ¡°I won¡¯t, I swear I won¡¯t, and I will prove it,¡± Valen sighs, dropping his head on my shoulder and groans. He felt defeated, yet I could also tell he understood because his anger was gone. ¡°How?¡± I ask. ¡°Because tomorrow I will open up my packs schools for the rogue children, and I am shutting down that terrible ce you call a schooI.¡± he lifts his head back up and presses his forehead against mine. ¡°Besides, when I spoke to Vrian about changing schools, he refused unless Casey and Taylor coulde to his new school, so the more, the merrier.¡± ¡°But what of the rogues that work there? They will lose their jobs,¡± ¡°And I hear Mountainview Hotel is looking for extra employees. We can help find them jobs. We can work it out, ¡°Valen says. ¡°In a city where rogues can¡¯t go past the two streets on either side of the main street unless it is for the reserve, there are no jobs, Valen, no one will hire them,¡± Valen sighed and appeared to think for a second before pushing his knee between my legs and shoving them apart. Chapter 60 Chapter 60 I raised an eyebrow at him, and he smirked at me before answering as he moved between my legs and rested his arms on my pillow. ¡°Valen!¡± I growl, looking away but also not wanting to shove him off because the tingling sensation made my stomach warm and fuzzy. He chuckles but presses his weight against me when I don¡¯t shove him off. ¡°Then I will drop my borders for them,¡± Valen says, and my eyes snap to his. ¡°You would do that?¡± I asked and he nods. ¡°Maybe once I do, the other packs may open their borders, too.¡± ¡°Valen, the media will destroy you for that,¡± I tell him and he shrugs. ¡°And after the Alpha meeting and I announce my mate is a rogue, it will give them something else to talk about. I don¡¯t care for my reputation Everly. No matter what, the media will find some way to destroy it, so why not give them something good to talk about, let them open the debate, then we can focus on changing their views,¡± he says before leaning down and brushing his nose across my cheek to my ear and down my jaw. ¡°Valen, it is impossible to think with you doing that,¡± I tell him as his hands bunch the shirt up I am wearing at my hip. ¡°The don¡¯t think, just agree, you have no excuses now, Everly,¡± ¡°I can think of plenty,¡± I tell him as he nips at my jaw, making me groan and shudder beneath him. ¡°Are they all to do with the rogues and you thinking I am going to ruin you?¡± He murmurs before kissing down my neck. I nod, my eyes closing, loving the feel of his lips on my skin as I tried to keep my thoughts clear that were suddenly bing hazier. ¡°Then let me prove it, tomorrow I will drop the borders and open the schools and my pack to the rogues,¡± ¡°You could just be saying that to get in my pants,¡± I tell him as his hand travels down my hip to my thigh. Heughs softly. ¡°Well, that would be an added bonus, but you are not wearing any panties, so I don¡¯t need to try and get into them,¡± My eyes fly open at his words. ¡°I thought it would be a bit odd borrowing those when I am already wearing your shirt,¡± I tell him. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°What¡¯s mine is yours,¡± he says while tugging my shirt up higher. ¡°And what¡¯s mine will be yours if you mark me,¡± I tell him, a little bitterly. He pulls his face away from my neck and stares down at me. ¡°You¡¯re worried I will take everything from you, right?¡± I nodded and sighed. ¡°What if I made it, so I can¡¯t,¡± he asked. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°What if I hand my pack over to you,¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I will stand down, make you Alpha. I will give you my pack, ¡± he says like it made perfect sense. ¡°Valen, I can¡¯t ask you to do that, and then what, you be my Luna?¡± He seems to think. ¡°Now that would be a first,¡± he mumbled. ¡°I¡¯m being serious, Valen,¡± ¡°So am I, Everly. I mean it. I just want you, f*ck what the other packs think, I will stand down as Alpha, and I don¡¯t know, just be your mate,¡± ¡°No, I am not taking your ce, and no. I don¡¯t want to be an AIpha. Luna maybe, but no, I have the rogues to worry about; I don¡¯t want to worry about pack issues on top, and technically you would still be Alpha. You can¡¯t just stop being an Alpha,¡± I tell him. He sighs because he knows I am right unless I make him rogue or forsaken after giving me his title. ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right because I have to mark you anyway, so you don¡¯t die on me,¡± he says with a huff. ¡°What about a prenup then?¡± ¡°Still holds no legal ountability when you¡¯re an AIpha.¡± ¡°Then I don¡¯t know, Everly. What do you want me to do because you don¡¯t trust me not to take everything from you, ¡± I chew my lip, trying to think. ¡°I won¡¯t take anything from you; you keep saying I will toss you away or make you give up helping the rogues; I won¡¯t. They are your vige, Vrian¡¯s vige, and his family. So don¡¯t trust me not to hurt you, trust I won¡¯t hurt our son,¡± ¡°Wait, you won¡¯t hurt our son,¡± I murmur to myself. Because I know he wouldn¡¯t. I knew that for certain, I could feel how much he loves Vrian, loves me, he could hurt me out of spite, but he wouldn¡¯t hurt Vrian. ¡°Of course not, I may be a shitty mate well, not shitty, but you know what I mean, but I am good father, Everly. I would never hurt our son,¡± ¡°Then get a judge to sign everything over to him,¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Everything I own is to be signed over to Vrian, with me having total control until he is 18,¡± ¡°You want a conservatorship?¡± he asked shocked. ¡°Then I have nothing for you to take; it belongs to Vrian,¡± Valen shakes his head. ¡°No, keep your hotel,¡± ¡°But?¡± ¡°I will sign everything I own over to you, all deeds all ounts,¡± ¡°But you could easily get back, Valen. You¡¯re an Alpha,¡± I tell him. ¡°But it would still take me months in court,¡± he argues. ¡°You own the courts,¡± I deadpan. ¡°Not the human ones I don¡¯t, everything I own I will file in the human courts over to you, I can¡¯t touch you then and will have to fight for it back the human way,¡± he said, making a face. ¡°But then I will look like a gold digger,¡± I tell him and shake my head. ¡°Then just trust me, for once trust someone other than yourself, or give Zoe and Macey part ownership something, I can only control legally what you own, I can¡¯t control it if it isn¡¯t in my name, and Marcus won¡¯t ever do that to Zoe,¡± Valen says. ¡°And you would get a judge to do that, help me sign it over equally to Macey and Zoe?¡± I asked shocked he would let allow me to hand half the hotel over. ¡°If it means I can have you, then yes, besides, like you said, they helped build that ce, only fair they get half of it, you could probably do it yourself with a lawyer,¡± he says. ¡°No tricks?¡± I ask. ¡°No, tricks,¡± he says, smiling down at me. I nodded, actually liking that idea, and I couldn¡¯t wait to tell Zoe and Macey. ¡°Oh, thank god,¡± Valen groans before kissing me. ¡°Valen!¡± I mumble against his lips. ¡°Quiet, you have run out of excuses now,¡± heughs while his hands w at my shirt. I suppose I had now. ¡°But you are not marking me until after the AIpha meeting, and the documents are signed.¡± He hums in agreement, pressing himself against me as he nips and sucks at my neck. I moaned, trying to keep my head while his lips attacked my skin. ¡°Valen!¡± I shrieked when I felt his shirt tear in his hands, exposing me to him. He pulls away and sighs. ¡°I said yes, I won¡¯t mark you until the paperwork is signed,¡± He whined. ¡°So please let me touch-¡± I yanked him closer and kissed him and he groaned, settling back between my legs. I shiver when he kisses me back, and moan into his mouth when he rolls his hips against me, his erection pressing against the inside of my thigh. I move my hand between us and squeeze his cock through his pants and he groans kissing me harder and rocking his hips against me.. ¡°No, wrestling, we can¡¯t fit Zoe¡¯s brother or sister in our house, and I am not sharing a room,¡±es Vrian¡¯s voice suddenly beside the bed. Valen leapt off me and I jumped, ripping the nket up to cover myself. ¡°What are you doing in here? You are supposed to be in bed, ¡± Valen said, clutching his chest like he was about to have a heart attack. ¡°Casey keeps sleep talking and woke me up,¡± Vrian huffed. ¡°Come on, I will tuck you back in,¡± Valen tells him. ¡°No, I want to sleep in here, so you can¡¯t make me share my room,¡± Vrian says, ring at me. Valen groans, clearly annoyed our son was cock blocking him. ¡°But there will be plenty of room if we move in here with your father, two extra rooms,¡± I tell him not that I was nning on having unprotected sex anyway, but he didn¡¯t need to know that. ¡°Really? We are going to live here now?¡± Vrian asks, his little eyes lighting up, and Valen looks over at me. I nod, and he smiles before motioning for Vrian to follow him so he can put him back to bed. ¡°Fine, but I want a brother, not a sister, I have lived with Casey for so long now, girls suck, and I am sick of watching trolls,¡± Vrian whines. ¡°Somehow, I don¡¯t think it works like that. You don¡¯t get to choose,¡± Valen tells him. ¡°Then just wrestle in a boy way to make a boy,¡± Vrian says simply like it made total sense. I chuckle and shake my head. ¡°I will keep that in mind,¡± Valen tells him while walking him back to his room. Chapter 61 Chapter 61 Foy Tucking Vrian in bed , I was excited to get back to Everly . Finally , my taffs are blue that I just want her to touch it and even look at it . I would take anything at this point , I ain¡¯t picky , I will probably blow a load just by the sight of her pretty pink vagina Walking to the door , I had a spring in my step until my spawn opened his little mouth . ¡± Can you read me a book ? ¡± Vrian asks ; I froze with my hand on the door mid escape . Please be a five page pop ¨C up book with one sentence on each page . ¡± Sure , ¡± I tell him turning around and stepping over Casey , who was asleep on his trundle . Vrian holds up the never ending story . It literally was a never ending fucking story . The thing was at least five hundred pages . Please be big lettering like page size , one letter a page big letters . Vatarian shuffles over , and I squeeze next to him on the bed , having to fold myself like origami to fit on the pint ¨C sized human bed and open this book which , of course , was to do with space just like his bedroom . At least it¡¯s educational , I groan . Which idiot brought this book ? Wait , I did ; I was that idiot . I would never encourage nighttime reading again ; I get it now ! Vrian looks up at me , blinking and yawning with a cute little face staring at me expectantly . I start reading and get to some part on the milky ¨C way and nce down , hoping he is asleep , but then I make eye contact with eyes that match mine . He was awake ! Why , why do you do me like this ! I was aware I was chucking a tantrum , knew it was a tantrum but for the love of God , go to fucking sleep ! 3 Stifling a growl and the urge to toss the book out the window , I continued reading . I knew Everly could feel my frustration , possibly feel the weight in m y damn balls too . Zoe owes me big for her crotch goblin waking my boy when I could finally get in some sexy time . Even reading to Vrian , she kept mumbling about pink unicorns or some crap . I was damn near tempted to duct tape her mouth shut or put her in the hall . Lucky she is cute and kind of growing on me . To be honest , she had me at Uncle Valen , so I guess I wouldn¡¯t disown her yet , and I would let her stay . I continued reading this encyclopedia on space . An hour goes by , and I swear I heard Everly chuckle in the room down the hall . She was enjoying my torment , enjoying my blue balls . I almost did a happy dance when I noticed the fruit of my loins had finally crashed and carefully snuck off his bed . Stepping over Casey only to find her staring up at me , and in her hands was another book . ¡± Ah , sweety , my throat is dry , ¡± I tell her , and she pouts , fluttering theshes of her big hazel eyes . ¡± You can have a sip from my drink bottle , Uncle Valen , ¡± she says while beaming and holding it up . That bloody word again , but it sounds so endearing . ¡® Uncle ¡® has a nice ring to it . That¡¯s it . Zoe is on my most wanted list , off with her fucking head . Casey moves over and rummages on the shelf pulling out a book that thankfully only had about twenty pages . She holds u p her drink bottle to me , and I shake my head , Definitely not drinking from that after she slurped on it . ¡± For your throat , so you can read , ¡± she said , and I heard Everly snicker . She is sorely mistaken if she thinks she is getting out of it , or would be by the time I was done with her . No amount of willpower could stop the gagging cough as I squirted the tiniest amount of her water in my mouth . The time it took for me to swallow it and not run for the bathroom and sanitize my mouth was the longest few seconds of my life . It was like forcing myself to swallow a golfball , ¡± You can have some more ; I don¡¯t mind sharing , ¡± Casey chirps . Does she not know whose father I am ? Does she not see that he gets his strange behaviors from me ? Casey insists on me drinking some more of her backwash drink bottle , and I gag . The water tasted slimy . It shouldn¡¯t taste slimy . Why is it slimy ? That was definitely spit and I think , a piece of cookie . I looked at the drink bottle and the tiny hole at the top before looking down at Casey . How ? I wanted answers on how she could get a cookie in her drink bottle . It makes no sense , and I just swallowed it . Casey , now happy my non ¨C existent thirst was quenched , hands me her book . I was going to hunt down the author or director , whoever invented prancing trolls , and murder them . They deserved death . I understood Vrian¡¯s hate for the movie , show , whatever the heck it was . The kid was obsessed . And I don¡¯t mean slightly ; I am pretty certain Casey was their number one fan . They should be giving her freebies at this point . C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. She was a walking , talking promotion for them . Even the hairbands in her braided hair had princess poppy on them . I settled next to her reading it to her . I tried to skim a few lines to hurry it up . But she caught me . She is obsessed . I don¡¯t know why she needed me to read it . She knew it word for word and could probably recite it backward . After the fifth read ¨C through , she finally passed out , and I made a quick dash for the bathroom and chugged down half a bottle of mouth wash before brushing my teeth and finishing the other half of the mouth wash . I needed to cleanse my insides of the bacteria I had just ingested . I shiver at the thought of the germs in that bottle .. I sneak back to my room with a sigh of relief and shut the door and flick the lock . I mentally debated dragging the dresser i n front of it , too but figured surely they couldn¡¯t pick a lock . Turning around , I looked at the bed . Nope , not happening . She was asleep . I did not just ingest a slobbered on piece of cookie and drink spit water , and read half the damn library for her to fall asleep before I got back . Nope , she is paying up . I briefly wondered if I could get her to pay up for the kiss she owes , maybe kiss my little head instead o f my big one . I ponder cursing Zoe and the kids for a few seconds before climbing in the bed like a creeper and stalking my mate . Sneaking between the sheets , I climb between her legs only for her to linee me in the face . ¡± shit , are you alright ? ¡± she mumbles , half asleep . ¡± Valen , it¡¯ste , ¡± she whines and yawns a s I shove her legs apart and grip her ass i n my hands and drag her pussy closer for me to feast on . I suck on her thigh , and she jumps as I nip and suck at her skin , working my way to my prize . Chapter 62 Chapter 62 It was the feel of warm hands on my skin that pulled me from my sleep ; I tried to stay awake for him , but after the first hour passed , sleep was calling me , so I had drifted off into oblivion . I was still stuck in the remnants of my dream when I felt him grab my legs ; Half asleep and startled awake , I acted ordingly and brought my knee up , kicking my leg out before recognizing the tingling sensation moving up my thighs . ¡± Shit , are you alright ? ¡± I gushed , hoping I didn¡¯t hurt him , though why he couldn¡¯t wake me , like a normal person I did not know ? I heard him grunt and curse under his breath before dragging me closer to him . ¡± Valen , it¡¯ste , ¡± I yawned , rubbing my eyes when I felt his hands grip my hips and his shoulders force my legs further apart . I had no time to worry about the fact his face was between my thighs when I felt his breath on my skin before feeling his tongue and mouthve the inside of my thigh as he sucked on it , moving his lips ) ever so slowly to where I wanted it . Sleep was forgotten as arousal teemed throughout my body when his warm breath caressed over my slit before his hot , wet tongue curled between my folds , licking a line to my clit . His tongue was ferocious , swirling andpping , teasing and tasting as he devoured me . My eyes closed as I became lost in the sensation of his mouth on my flesh . My skin prickled with heat as my entire body became hot and flushed . Valen¡¯s hands moved from my ass to my thighs as he spread me wide before dipping his tongue inside me and tasting my desire as it spilled out onto my thighs . His deep , guttural groan vibrated through me as he pushed me closer to the edge . His mouth left no part of me untouched as he retraced his path back to my clit and sucked on my throbbing bud that had developed its own pulse . My pussy clenched as the first simmering ripple of my orgasm washed over me , and I saw white , my mind blissfully nked , and my back arched as he shoved me over the peak , free ¨C falling blinding through the pleasurable waves of my climax . My hips rolled , and my pussy pulsated against his hot mouth as I rode the tides o f my orgasm . His mouth moved top at the juices that spilled from me as I melted against the soft sheets , blissfully rxed a s my body cooled down and I tried to catch my breath . I shuddered when his tongue flicks over my clit onest time teasingly , tickling before he crawls up my body and rests his hips between my legs . His erection rested against my sensitive pussy . Valen kisses my jaw , nipping at my skin , and I yawned when he bit the skin along my shoulder , breaking the skin and making me hiss . Heughs softly , licking and nibbling my lips as he rolls his hips against me . ¡± You¡¯re not sleeping . I¡¯m not finished with you yet , ¡± he growls , and my lips tug i n the corners , yet I was so ready for sleep now . ¡± Can I do an IOU ? ¡± I chuckle . ¡± You do owe me ; a kiss . Don¡¯t think I have forgotten , ¡± Valen chuckles , nibbling and licking at my lips . He rolls his hips against me , making me gasp as he brushes against my clit . I groaned , kissing him back when his tongue sweeps across my lips and brushes the tip of my tongue . My fingers slide through his hair before gripping it and dragging his mouth closer as I tangle my tongue with his . He shivers when I trace my fingertips down his side t o the waistband of his shorts , pushing them over his hip as I lifted my knees and rolled my hips against him . He groaned against my lips , helping me get rid of his pants as he used his hand to shove them down his legs before kicking them off . C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. He settled his weight back between my legs and moved his pelvis against mine . His thick cock slid between my folds before pressing against my entrance , and I squirmed , moving up a little before he could shove inside me and red at him . ¡± Forgetting something , I am not having a baby right now , ¡® ¡± 1 ¡± No , but nine months sounds alright , though , ¡± I raise an eyebrow at him , and h e drops his head against my shoulder and groans . ¡± Fine , ¡± he sighed before sitting u p and leaning over to his bedside table . He flicks themp on and rummages through the drawer , removing a foil package . He tears it with his teeth before settling between my legs and rolling the condom o n before huffing in annoyance . ¡± Happy ? ¡± ? ¡± Valen mumbles against my lips as he kisses me , and I nod , kissing him back and wrapping my legs around his waist before twisting and forcing him on his back . Sitting up , he growls at me while I rest my weight against his hips . His hand moves up my thigh to my hips , his thumb brushing over the faint marks that line them from carrying our son , his eyes following his hands that move up my side , across my ribs to the side of my breast . He brushes his thumb over my hard , peaked nipple before leaning up to take it i In his mouth while his arms wrap securely around my waist . He lifts his weight , dragging us higher up the bed so he can lean against the headboard . His mouth not leaving my skin as he licked and flicked my nipple , teasing it between his teeth . I moan softly as the bond res with desire , and I roll my hips against him . Moving my hand between our bodies , I wrapped my hand around hisrge , thick length and positioned him . My weight sank down on him and my walls clenched around him at the feel of his cock filling me . Valen leans his head against the headboard and sighs while I get used to the feeling of having something inside me after so long . Leaning forward , I kiss him , gently rocking and raising my hips slowly as I find some sort of rhythm . He kisses me back eagerly , his tongue delving between my lips , dominating mine while his hand slid up my neck into my hair . He grabbed a handful , pulling my head back while his lips traveled down my jaw and neck . My hand fell behind me onto his thigh as I moved against him while he sucked and licked my breasts before clutching me back to him and kissing me deeply . His hands gripped my hips , my skin pinching between his fingers as he moved my hips faster and set a new speed . My hands gripped his shoulders as he built up friction , my pussy clenching around his thick cock soaked in my juices . My hips moved faster as I chased the feeling building inside my stomach , After my breathing turns harsh , I push his hands away , chasing after the sensation , only to be slow down again when he grabs my hips . His worry slivers through the bond like he thought he would hurt me . ¡± You won¡¯t hurt me , have had a baby remember , ¡± I murmur against his lips as I kiss him . His worry seems to slip away as he kisses me back . ¡± Then grip the headboard , ¡± he mumbles between kissing me . Reaching up , my fingers grip the headboard above his shoulders when he grips my hips , lifting them before mming me down on him and making m e gasp . His cock bumped painfully against my cervix . It was a good pain as my walls squeezed around him . Euphoria slips through me as he continues to roll and lift my hips . Our bodies moved in sync as I felt my stomach tighten , felt the heat wash back over my skin , making goosebumps rise all over . His grip tightened , his nails digging in , and I felt his legs tense beneath me just as I came undone . My pussy clenching and milking him as m y orgasm ripples through me ; he groans as he finds his own release . His grip loosens , and I roll my hips , riding out the remnants of my pleasure before crashing hard into his chest . Valen¡¯s breathing was harsh as we both tried to catch our breath . Valen¡¯s lips press to my shoulder before he turns his face toward mine , whichy heavily on his shoulder . He caresses my lips with his before brushing his nose against mine . ¡± I love you , ¡± he whispers , and I smile , bumping his nose back with mine before pecking his lips . ¡± What¡¯s there not to love ? I¡¯m pretty great , ¡± I chuckle . ¡± Is that right ? ¡± he teased ; wrapping his arms around my waist , he flipped me onto my back . ¡± Should I be hurt you didn¡¯t say it back ? ¡± heughed softly , nipping at my jaw to m y lips . ¡± No , ¡± ¡± Then say it , ¡± he whispered while licking the seam of my lips . ¡± Tell me you love me , save my ego , ¡± I chuckle at his words before gripping his face in my hands and pushing him back so I could see his face . He was breathtaking when vulnerable . He was all the time , but the uncertainty of three words I could see truly worried him . ¡± I love you , Valen Sce ; I have since I found out you were mine , ¡± I tell him , letting him . ¡± The whole time ? ¡± heughs , and I chuckle . ¡± Yep , all that time , I just loved to hate you then . 11 ¡± And now ? ¡± ¡± I just love you , ¡± I whispered , wrapping m y arms around his neck and tugging his lips back to mine . Chapter 63 Chapter 63 The following morning was a rat race, as we tried to get the kids dressed and ready for the day. Pulling a shirt over Vrian¡¯s head, he instantly whined as I crinkled the cor. ¡°Vrian, I haven¡¯t got time, not today,¡± I told him. Of all the days he wanted to have a meltdown, it had to be the day of the Alpha meeting. It would be held at 3 PM, and I was a nervous wreck already. Vrian chucks a full-on meltdown, tugging at his shirt and crying. Valen came over from making his and Casey¡¯s cereal. The shirt looked eptable to me before gripping the hem and lifting it off him. ¡°Calm down, the Hotel is fine, Everly. You¡¯re stressing for no reason,¡± Valen says while wandering off to get him a new shirt. Valen returns with a button-up one and carefully does the buttons, making sure not to wrinkle his shirt before sitting Vrian at the table. My brain felt fried with the list of things I had to check once back to the Hotel and help set up, though Valen assured me he would hel p. How I wasn¡¯t sure because I needed him to watch both kids since Zoe and I would be helping set up. ¡°I have to duck down to the council really quick, then I will head to the hotel to help you,¡± Valen tells me. ¡°Well, you need to take the kids with you. Zoe and Marcus are already setting up, and I need to check the restaurant and check off the catering supplies,¡± I tell him. ¡°No, my father is watching them for us, and I already asked Zoe who was fine with him taking Casey too, you just have to meet him downstairs in the wine garden. There is a kid y area,¡± Valen says,ing over and pecking my lips. ¡°Wait, what time,¡± I called after him. ¡°Just head down after they finish eating. Dad¡¯s taking them to the movies and to lunch and will meet us at the Hotel,¡± Valen called over his shoulder before walking out the door. I sighed, looking over at the kids who were happily eating their fruit loops. Thank god Kalen was taking them. I don¡¯t think I could handle their sugar rush today. The wine gardens were lovely, though the stares I received from everybody were beginning to annoy me. I couldn¡¯t wait until it was out just so people would fuck off with their res. Casey and Vrian were climbing on the climbing frames and swinging on the frames when I got a text message from Kalen saying he was running a littlete. Though I was surprised he had my phone number, Valen must have given it to him. This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. ¡°Ah Casey, don¡¯t eat that,¡± I tell her, racing over as she was about to eat a snail. ¡°But why, thatdy is,¡± Casey says, pointing to the woman a t the tables who was eating Escargot snails. Vrian pulls a face at the woman as she eats one that was on her lettuce. ¡°Still don¡¯t eat it. Snail slime is poisonous,¡± I tell her, wiping her hands free of the handful of snails she had collected from the garden. ¡°Then why is she eating them?¡± Argh,e on Kalen, then you can answer these questions, I internally groaned. ¡°Because they are a delicacy, and they are cooked, not fresh from the garden,¡± I tell her. ¡°Gross, if you ask me, why would anyone eat a slug?¡± Vrian asked, plucking a snail from the garden where I just made Casey drop them. It came out of its shell, and he drops it, pulling a face, and I chuckle at him when a voice from another table reaches my ears. ¡°Seems AIpha Valen needs to up his standard, especially for the price we pay, letting rogues in here, such a shame,¡± the middle aged woman says, turning her gaze to me. Vrian growls at her, shocking me, and goes to say something, I grip his shoulder gently, and he looks up at me and I shake my head. ¡°Mind your ce, boy, rogue-whores and their mutts shouldn¡¯t be allowed in the presence of the elite,¡± she sneered, and I red at her. Biting my tongue. I was not about to cause a scene. ¡°I will have to put in aint. Looks like the AIpha is letting in all kinds of riff-raff in here,¡± ¡°It appears so, ma¡¯am because he let you through his doors, ¡± I tell her, sick of whining voice, she seemed appalled that I would even talk back to her, let alone call her the riff-raff. ¡°How dare you? Do you have any idea who I am?¡± ¡°No, and I don¡¯t care to. I have standards, and you don¡¯t meet them,¡± I tell her, and she huffs, tossing her napkin on the floor before stomping off just as Kalen steps into the child¡¯s y area. ¡°Sorry, I amte, I got caught in traffic,¡± he turned to where I was staring after the woman. ¡°Everything alright?¡± He asked. ¡°Fine, I need to go,¡± Kalen nods, and I turn to the kids, and Casey is stuffing her pockets full of snails. I click my tongue, leaving Kalen to deal with it before pecking them both on the cheek and telling them to behave. ¡°I will find youter, dear,¡± Kalen says, pecking my cheek and hugging me much to the disgust of those around us. Somehow I don¡¯t think I will get used to his sudden affections toward me. I roll my eyes before leaving and looking for Tatum, who was supposed to take me back to the Hotel. Only when I walked out the front doors, I stopped, seeing Vrie¡¯s truck. I blinked and took a step back, and Tatum climbs out of the driver¡¯s seat and shuts the door. My hands went to my eyes, and I rubbed my eyes, holding back the tears. I thought he crushed it. ¡°Is it?¡± I couldn¡¯t believe my eyes. Tatum smiles before tossing me the keys, her old key chains still attached along with the pendants of four steel cut-out girls and three babies. The three key chain pictures of Vrian, Casey, and Taylor were also still attached. I kissed the keys, trying not to be emotional over an old truck. ¡°He didn¡¯t destroy it?¡± I choked. ¡± Nope, kept it in the garage. I filled it up for you, but she needs a good clean, pretty dusty down there,¡± Tatum says, and I nod. ¡°Valen said you were stressed this morning. He was going to give it back tonight, but then rang and asked me to give it to you, to help cheer you up,¡± Tatumughs. It definitely did that. I hugged him quickly. ¡°Thank you,¡± I tell him before jumping into my truck. I reach over to the glovepartment and unlock it. Relief floods me when I see the letters from Vrie inside; I pull them out, making sure they were all there, including the one for Valen, which was still sealed. I swallowed before cing it back. It had arrived a few weeks after her passing along with the others for when the kids grew older. I was so devastated about the car because I thought they would never find out what was in them. cing them in my handbag, I would put them in the safe back at the Hotel. Why I didn¡¯t in the first ce was beyond me. I also grabbed out her storage locker key where all her belongings were and chucked that in my bag along with them. Starting my baby up, she roared to life. I smiled before pulling out heading home. Chapter 64 Chapter 64 Kalen POV Something must have happened with that woman I saw leaving as I watched Everly leave. She seemed upset, turning back to Vrian and little Casey. Both were in a mood. ¡°Poppy, can you get us a drink?¡± Vrian asked, and I smiled. He looked so much like Valen when he was his age, his big amber eyes looking back at me reminded me of his father, though Valen had grown out of his dimples. ¡°Of course. What would you like?¡± I asked them both. ¡°Banana milkshake,¡± Casey squealed, and I smiled before looking at Vrian, though I had a funny feeling of what he would ask for before he said it, especially if he was indeed like his father. ¡°Vani, please,¡± I nodded, happy I was right before looking around for the servers. Not seeing any, I spied the bar, which only had a small line. ¡°Okay, wait here; I will be right back. I am just going over there,¡± I point the bar out, which was only a couple of meters away before stepping through the yground¡¯s safety gate. Excited for the day I nned out to distract the kids. It kind of reminded me of when I used to take Valen out. Every Sunday was our day. Every Sunday was an adventure when he was a small boy, always hunting for unknown ces to take him. I ce the kid¡¯s orders and order them some subs to take with us too, before turning to look back at them. I waved before realizing they were gone. Two minutes, if that, I had turned around for only a few moments and they just disappeared. Racing back to the yground, I searched the tunnels, climbed into the cubbyholes at the top, and checked the slides. They were gone, and my stomach sank, my heart racing like a drum at the thought of losing them. ¡°Hey, the kids, the kids that were in here, did you see where they went?¡± I asked, grabbing a security guard¡¯s arm. He looked behind me at the yground and shrugged. ¡°I didn¡¯t see any kids, Alpha Kalen,¡± ¡°I want all hotel security looking for a boy and girl. The girl is in a pink dress with, um, um, what is the name?¡± I tried to think of the name of that show she liked, the one Valenined about. ¡°Trolls, it¡¯s a pink troll¡¯s dress, the boy a light blue button-up shin and navy cks,¡± the guard stans rattling off their descriptions across his radio before turning to me. ¡°Their names?¡± ¡°Casey and Vrian,¡± I tell him scanning the wine the gardens for any trace of them. How could I lose them, and why would they leave? ¡°And whose kids are they are?¡± ¡± My grandkids just fucking find them,¡± I snapped, darting off and yanking my phone from my pocket. My hands shook as I punched in the numbers, I dial my son¡¯s number again, missing a couple of numbers in my haste as I ran through the foyer, looking for any sign of them. I manage to dial the correct numbers a few secondster, scanning the ce while I wait for my son to answer. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± My stomach sank at the thought of what I was about to tell him, and I felt sick like I was about to throw up. Everly, and he would never trust me again. My heart thudded painfully against my ribs, so hard I was at serious risk of heart attack. Do these kids not realize I am old? I can¡¯t get a fright like this. ¡°I lost them, I lost the kids,¡± ¡°What do you mean, you lost them?¡± my son snapped, his voice slightly hysterical. ¡°They were right there, then I went to get them a milkshake, and I turned around. They were gone,¡± I panicked, racing through the restaurants and bars, looking for them. ¡°They couldn¡¯t have gone far; I am on my way.¡± Valen replies. ¡°Okay, I will ring Everly,¡± I tell him, dreading that call. ¡°No, let¡¯s see if we can find them first. They couldn¡¯t have left the hotel,¡± Valen says, hanging up. I had every member of avable staff looking for them, the entire security personnel was searching, and even a few police has showed up to help me search the damn ce when a call came over the radio. ¡°Found them. They were in the kitchens hiding,¡± A chef calls over the radio. The immense relief I felt could not be exined as I made my way to their location. Pulling my phone out, I called my son back to let him know, and he told me he was nearly here. No doubt to rouse at the kids for hiding on me. Wal king into the kitchens, both kids were sitting on milk crates, the chef standing over them with his arms folded not looking impressed. ¡°I caught them tampering with the mayor¡¯s wife¡¯s food,¡± the chef tells me, and I put my hand on my hips. ¡°Well, haven¡¯t you two been up to mischief,¡± I asked them. ¡°She was mean to my mum,¡± Vrian huffs, and I tilt my head. ¡°Who was?¡± ¡°Thatdy with the curly hair and pig¡¯s nose,¡± Vrian said before getting up and walking to the double doors. He points out a table, and my brows raise. Alpha Nixon¡¯s wife, she was a nasty woman. ¡°What did she do?¡± I asked him. ¡°Said we weren¡¯t wee in here, called us riff-raff,¡± Vrian says, and I growl. ¡°You should not have run off like that. You should have told me. Your father is distraught and on his way here,¡± I tell him, and he drops his head. The chef watched as I turned to look at him. ¡°You didn¡¯t serve her the spoiled food?¡± ¡°No, caught them just in time, sir,¡± I nod. ¡°Very well, I will take it to her and make these two apologize,¡± I tell him, and he nods, handing me a tray that had escargot on it and a bowl of soup. I give the children a scolding look before noticing a snail in Casey¡¯s hand and chuckle. ¡°Were you going to put live ones in her food?¡± Iugh, shaking my head? ¡°She is the one that wants to eat slugs,¡± Vrian pouted before ring out the doors at the woman. I nced around and noticed the chef was busy cooking at the back, and no one was paying attention. ¡°I saw nothing,¡± I tell the kids, cing the tray down and turning my back on it. This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I saw nothing,¡± I tell Vrian, nodding toward the snails in Casey¡¯s hands. She pulls more from her pocket. How many did this kid stow away? Vrian giggles when a waitress notices, and I nod to her. She nces at the table number on the tray before looking out the door and pressing her lips in a line as she snickered. ¡°I saw nothing either,¡± she says, sending me a wink. Grabbing the tray, I see the snails had been reced and one was even swimming around in her soup. ¡°Allow me,¡± the server says, and I nce at her name tag. ¡°Thank you, Stacey,¡± I tell her, handing it to her. She nods, smiling at the two mischief-makers behind me who were giggling, taking the tray out and setting it in front of her. She nods and thanks Stacey while we watch from the kitchens when Valen busts through the doors. Relief is clear on his face, and the kids duck behind me, peering up a t him under my arms. Valen lets out a breath, ¡°You two have some exining to do,¡± he scolds before being cut off by the shrill screamsing from the restaurants. I try not tough as I watch the woman spit her food out and jump back from the table. Valen turned, looking out at themotion while the woman was shrieking and waving waiter¡¯s over. The kidsughed behind me, and I erupted and joined them, and my son looked at me before folding his arms across his chest. ¡°What did you do to the City Mayor¡¯s wife? ¡°I saw nothing,¡± I tell him, and he looks at the children. ¡°Pop said we could,¡± Vrian snitches and I look away, well I thought it was quite funny. ¡°I stand by what I said; I saw nothing,¡± Valen sighs. ¡°I hope she chokes,¡± Casey says, pursing her lips and squinting her little eyes at the woman. ¡°And why is that?¡± Valen asks her. ¡°Seems the woman doesn¡¯t like rogues in your hotel, son,¡± I tell him. ¡°Good, let¡¯s introduce you both then, shall we?¡± Valen asks. ¡°She was mean to mum,¡± Vrian pouts with teary eyes. ¡°Well, we can¡¯t have that, can we?¡± Valen says, holding his hand out to my grandson. If only I had the balls all those years ago to have Vrie on my arm and by my side. I thought guiltily. I won¡¯t allow my son to make my mistakes. ¡°But dad, she is the mayor¡¯s wife,¡± ¡°And this city is owned by me and Pop. We elected her husband as mayor, and I can easily remove his status,¡± Valen tells him. ¡°Good, then I want to be the mayor,¡± Vrian says, and I chuckle. ¡°Aim higher, my boy. No name holds more power than Sce in this City,¡± I tell him, and he looks up at me with a sparkle in his eyes. Oh, he would be a terrific Alpha one day. Chapter 65 Chapter 65 Everly POV We had managed to lose one of the cheese tters for one table and the three snack tters, and I had rung Valen, who said he would sort it out and bring some from his restaurant. Sliding my hand bag over my shoulder after that mini heart attack was sorted, I finally wal ked to my office. Retrieving the letters, I stuffed them and the keys in the safe when my office door opened, and Kalen walked in. All dressed nicely in his suit, looking every part of the Alpha he should, he flopped into a chair looking exhausted, although dressed to impress. While I looked like a staff member, not that I owned pretty formal dresses or would wear them, I preferred organizing the events, not being a part of them. ¡°Where is Vrian?¡± I asked him. ¡°Just dropped him to Zoe with Casey. Valen is taking the tters you needed to the kitchen,¡± he says, looking rather frazzled. ¡°Is everything okay?¡± I asked, wondering why he had hunted me down, though people had arrived early. However, the function didn¡¯t officially start for another hour. Grabbing the box with the namebels in them for the tables, I tucked it under my arm. ¡°Oh, we are moving again,¡± Kalen chuckled, reaching for the box under my arm. He takes it from me. Following me out of my office. ¡°Is there a reason you came searching for me?¡± I asked him. Kalen cleared his throat, and I could tell he was nervous about something. He told me about losing the kids and about the snails which made me chuckle. ¡°You¡¯re not upset?¡± Kalen asked, and I shook my head. ¡°Nope, I lost Vrian for an hour when he was two. He wandered out of the apartment, found him in the daycare, the scariest hour of my life. I was frantic. These things happen,¡± I tell him, walking back toward the restaurant when I spotted my father by the end of the corridor. He was in a gray suit talking to someone with his back to us. ¡°I also needed to speak to you about Valen,¡± Kalen said before stopping and looking at me when he realized I had stopped. He followed my gaze to where my father was talking to someone. Kalen looked at me before looking at the door beside me and stuffed me into a storage room where we kept linens. ¡°Kalen?¡± I heard my father call out, but luckily I was already obscured inside the darkroom. Kalen looked at me and stuffed the box in my arms, shutting the door but not wholly . ¡°Alpha John, lovely to see you again,¡± Kalen said when I heard my father growl at him. ¡°What the f*ck is shit I heard from Alpha Nixon¡¯s wife saying your son was marrying another,¡± my father snarled angrily. ¡°Our deal still stands, Alpha John,¡± ¡°Not if your son doesn¡¯t marry my f*cking daughter. We had a deal,¡± my father snarled, and I covered my mouth with my hand, trying to muffle any noises when I bumped a shelf and knocked something off it. I quickly darted behind the door. ¡°What was that?¡± my father asked, and the door was suddenly shoved open. ¡°I must have bumped something; I was looking for a bathroom and wandered into a linen closet,¡± Kalen said, his backing into view as he opened the door, blocking me from my father as he peered in.? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. ¡°F*cking reeks of rogue in here, why of the ces your son would hold it here is beyond me, did you know this ce is apparently owned by a rogue-whore, Alpha Nixon¡¯s wife told me,¡± my father says, and the door shuts again, once again Kalen left it slightly ajar, and I looked between the gap. ¡°F*cking ironic that the ce he holds this meeting is at his own mother¡¯s hotel, though how it ended up out of your hands, I don¡¯t know, must have pissed your dear old mate off for her to give to some random whore,¡± Kalen growls at him. ¡°Mind your tone, John, Vrie may be dead, but I won¡¯t listen to talk shit about her,¡± Kalen growled. My father scoffed. ¡°Coming from a man you tossed her aside, I will say what I like,¡± my father breathed. Kalen growled and I heard his ws scratch the wood of the door. ¡°Your son better announce my daughter as his future mate Kalen, or I will tell Valen about Vrie. We had a f*cking deal,¡± ¡°I assure you my son will take your daughter as his mate,¡± Kalen reassures him, and my father growls. ¡°He f*cking better, Kalen, or your little secret is out,¡± my father says, stalking off down the hall. I hear Kalen sigh and he waits a few minutes when I hear his voice. ¡°Coast is clear, Everly. You don¡¯t need to hide,¡± Kalen says, and I pull open the door. He turns to me with a grim smile on his face. ¡°That is what my father has over you. Why you were so quick to ept me?¡± I asked him. ¡°That is not the only reason, Everly. I made mistakes, ones I refuse to allow my son to repeat. As much as I loved Valerie, I was too worried about my reputation. When I lost her, I realized what I had done. I punished not only her, but I also punished myself.¡± Kalen admits. ¡°So if Valen doesn¡¯t marry Ava, my father will tell him about Valerie?¡± Kalen shakes his head. ¡°The deal was he had to marry his daughter. He never stated which one,¡± Kalen says; I cluck my tongue. I couldn¡¯t believe this was happening right now. Nevertheless, I understood why Kalen was talking to my father after years of rivalry. ¡°Why does he want my sister to marry Valen? It makes no sense,¡± ¡°Honestly, dear, I have no idea; I have tried to figure it out myself. When he confronted me about Valerie, I panicked, and I agreed. Valerie, I already lost. I couldn¡¯t bear the thought of losing my son too,¡± Kalen said. I nodded; just the thought of Valerie brought tears to my eyes. ¡°Anything else to this deal you made?¡± I asked, wanting to know everything and what I was up against. ¡°Yes, Valen had to mark and mate her within the week of the Alpha meeting,¡± Kalen tells me, and I curse and mutter under my breath. ¡°Wait when you say mate, do you mean to force the heat?¡± I ask him, and Kalen nods, looking away guiltily. ¡°He wants to make sure his daughter is with child, to ensure her future. He was nning on injecting Ava with the hormones to ensure she got pregnant. ¡°I do not n on having another baby anytime soon, so no forced heat. I will let him mark me.¡± ¡°Thank you, Everly,¡± I shake my head and hold my finger up, telling him to wait. ¡°I can¡¯t carry this secret, Kalen, I can¡¯t. You must know how heavy it is yourself. I look at him, and all I see is her,¡± my lip quivers as I think of Valerie, who she was to me, who she could have been to Valen. ¡°I will let him mark me, but you will tell your son, I have a week to let him mark me, you have a week to tell him, I will not go into this with lies that can unravel us, you want me to be with your son? Then tell him, don¡¯t make me have to,¡± I tell him before walking off. Chapter 66 Chapter 66 Making my way to the restaurant I handed the name cards to one of the waitresses who quickly raced around cing them out following the seating arrangements. Valen came out of the kitchen with a garment bag slung over his shoulder and smiled when he spotted me. He was dressed in a ck suit, looking handsome like always. Vrian was also dressed in a suit and was ying with Casey with some other children that had arrived early when Valen approached me,ing up behind me. He nestled his face into my neck which earned a curious stares when his hand went to my hip to tug me back against him. ¡°You¡¯re not wearing that,¡± he growled and looked down at my uniform. ¡°And I am not wearing that, if it is a dress,¡± I told him as he draped it over my arm as I rearranged some of the decorations. ¡°Ah, well, good thing it¡¯s not. I know you don¡¯t wear dresses because I have yet to see you in one. Although you will have to wear a dress eventually,¡± ¡°And why is that Alpha Valen?¡± I asked. ¡°Because usually the groom wears a suit to a wedding, so for one day you will have to suck it up and wear a dress,¡± ¡°I like how you assume I will marry you. What if I want to keep my name?¡± ¡°We can hyphenate it,¡± he chuckles, kissing my jaw while I pull a face at the thought. ¡°Fine Sce it is,¡± Iugh. ¡°Good choice because I wasn¡¯t changing mine to Valen Summers,¡± he says and I swat his arm with my hand. ¡°Go get changed,¡± he says, giving me a nudge toward the rear doors that led to the back where my apartment was. I sighed, taking the garment bag and heading for my apartment. I changed quickly into the white pants suit before running the brush through my hair and tying it up. Looking in the mirror, I pursed my lips before walking into Zoe¡¯s room and rummaging through her make -up bag and taking some of her cosmetics. I did a rush job of my makeup knowing people would be already arriving and I still had to ce a few things out on the tables and check the seating arrangements again. Last thing we needed was for rival Alphas and outside Alphas being seated together. Looking in the mirror onest time, I felt like an imposter and sucked in a sharp breath. Trying to find the courage to go out there and face not only my father but all those Alphas who were here for the announcement. After today everything will change, I would no longer be Everly, the rogue, but Luna Everly, and that thought scared me as much as it excited me. How over the years I had changed. From having nothing to bing a Hotel owner, and soon once more, to Luna. Our vige was growingrger, and that responsibility hung heavily over me. Valerie¡¯s voice came to mind; whenever the health and safety people would mock our attempts to get this ce running. Micha was the worst. Zoe ckmailed him into helping fix the wiring in the ce. He walked around and checked the ce out. He then burst outughing in our faces. He found it hrious. ¡± I am not wasting my time; you will never get this ce up and running, ¡± he mocked with a shake of his head. Vrie refused to hear it. She stepped forward, and I saw the fear in his eyes while she held none. The woman was fearless. Micha had taken a frightened step back at the look she gave him. He dared not challenge her. There was something with the way she carried herself; she did not fear pack wolves. No, Vrie was her own pack, and she let us be a part of it; she protected us, and this was home. True Alphas preserve their home and those that live in it; she was our Alpha. Micha visibly gulped as she got up close and sneered as she looked him up and down. She said two words as she snatched the tool from his hand. Two words that always stuck with me. Micha challenged her, and she loved a challenge. ¡°Watch me, ¡± she said before turning on her heel and walking to the power box. She shut the power off and undid the screws holding the cover over the exposed wires. I shook my head at the memory and smiled to myself. It kind of became our mantra. Fueled by everyone trying to knock us back. The day before we got the official notice and were told we could open our doors, we sat in the restaurant admiring our handy work. The ce looked fantastic. We were sipping our beers covered in paint and god knows what else. Valerie was leaning against the counter, watching us. She always watched us. She always let us know how proud she was of what we had aplished. ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. ¡°We actually did it, ¡± she said, and we nodded. All of us were exhausted, yet our spirits were good. ¡°You will never do it. That is what I will tell you girls from now on,¡± Vrieughed. ¡°Watch us,¡± we said collectively with augh. ¡± That¡¯s my girls, and they will watch, and you will show them what us rogues are made of,¡± she said proudly. It became our mantra and when I fell behind in my night sses, trying to juggle kids, work, and school, I felt defeated. Valerie wandered over to me, cigarette between her lips where I sat sulking, looking at my failed test. My bag was between my feet, I had opened the letter before leaving and was supposed to leave for ss. I sighed and rested my head against the brick wall, feeling like I had let her down. ¡°What are you looking at?¡± she asked. ¡°My stupid test, I failed,¡± I grumbled. ¡°Let me look,¡± she said, snatching the paper from my hands. She peered at it and sighed. ¡°Might as well throw in the towel, you¡¯ll never do it, ¡± she clicked her tongue, and I squinted my eyes at her. The corner of her lips tugged in the corners. ¡± Should probably quit this ce too, barely made a dent. The ce looks like crap,¡± she said, motioning around to all the work we ved our asses off doing all day. She dragged back on her smoke and raised an eyebrow at me. I pursed my lips, and she smiled. She crumpled the paper and tossed it into the bin, and I snatched my bag up off the ground. ¡°Watch me,¡± I said, using the words I heard her say many times over. The challenge brought on. She smirked. ¡°Oh, I am,¡± sheughed. Two words and they always put a fire in my belly. So, with that, I headed to the restaurant. Vrie handed this ce to Vrian and me; this was my home, and now I was not only fighting to keep it running, but I was also fighting for the rogues, our vige built from nothing. So nothing my father could say or do could touch me. We beat the odds; we built an empire, and I won¡¯t let one Alpha intimidate me. If Valerie taught me anything, it was to know my worth, and the only one who got to determine that was me, not my father, not my mate, not those who tried to suppress me. I no longer had to prove anything to anyone because I proved it to myself, and there is no feeling that is more empowering than knowing your own value. Reaching the doors, I was bombarded instantly as those brought in to help cater scrambled withst- minute alterations and tasks. I had walked in halfway through the opening speeches, clipboard in hand. I looked over the guest lists before walking out the back to check the kitchen to see if the chefs needed help. The ce was packed, and Kalen was addressing those that attended. I had been to plenty of these growing up, and I knew Valen nned to make the announcement at the end of the night. A few hours in, and everyone was mingling. I watched the Alphas mingle among each other. Looking over at the table Valen was at, he nodded to the chair beside him, but I shook my head. I still hadn¡¯t seen my father and was waiting for it. Kalen, I knew, wanted to keep things civil as long as possible, so I kept my distance, bidding my time. But when amotion happened toward the back of the room. I recognized my father¡¯s voice instantly. ¡°You fucking idiot, you spilled it all over me!¡± he said, standing up. I tilted my head to the side, and I saw Valen stand and look in his direction along with a heap of other Alphas. My server fumbled, trying to clean up the mess. Zoe also went over to help, and I noticed Marcus lingering in the background as she approached. Difficult patrons were something we dealt with on the regr. This was nothing and an easy fix for her. ¡°Do you have any idea how expensive this suit is?¡± My father growled at Sarah. Zoe ces her hand on Sarah¡¯s shoulder. ¡°May I know what the issue is, Alpha?¡± ¡°Yes, this idiot spilled wine on my shirt,¡± ¡°idents happen, Alpha. I am sure we can organize dry-cleaning or possibly a fresh shirt, ¡± Zoe answers quickly while tidying up the table. My father sneers, and Zoe nods for Sarah to go, and she rushes off,ing toward the kitchens. ¡°You ok?¡± I ask her, touching her arm as she escaped into the kitchen, looking rather shaken. ¡°Bloody prick, he bumped my arm as I was pouring, ¡± she said. I nodded to the kitchen, and she sighed with relief while I leaned against the frame. I chuckled when I saw Macey a few tables away, watching Zoe. Ready to crack the Alpha with a bottle if needed. She knew who he was, so did Zoe, and not once did she stammer. She spoke professionally and did her job while my father ranted about lowly rogues. We had heard it all, and it no longer fazed us. There wasn¡¯t a name he could come up with that we hadn¡¯t heard once or twice before. ¡°As I said, Sir. We can offer to have dry cleaned or reced for you,¡± Zoe told him. ¡°I want her fired; I want to speak to the manager,¡± he demanded. ¡°You are speaking with one Alpha,¡± Zoe told him before waving Macey over. I will give him one thing: he knew how to cause a scene, as everyone watched with eager eyes. Marcus looked like he was about to drag Zoe away from the threat. Oblivious at the back, the kids were ying and stuffing their tiny faces. ¡°This is Macey, also another manager here,¡± Zoe said, introducing them. Macey started with polite words, ever the professional, well, until he started ranting at her and making a fool of himself. I noticed Ava shrink in her seat. Embarrassed by our father¡¯s behavior. Those on the other tables whispered amongst themselves, and I saw the woman from Valen ¡®s hotel was also seated at my father¡¯s table, agreeing and nodding to everything he said. ¡°Sir, if you don¡¯t calm down, I am going to have to escort you from the premises,¡± Macey told him. And she would if needed, she had a bat behind the counter, and she wasn¡¯t afraid to use it and had done it many times. Though this was slightly different from the everyday usuals we dealt with, this was a room full of Alphas, but that wouldn ¡®t stop her. ¡°Escort me? Who the hell do you think you are? I want to speak to the owner,¡± my father demanded. Zoe looked over at me, and I nodded to her. She turned back to my father. ¡°She is on her way, Alpha, ¡± I heard Zoe say as I made my way through the tables. Valen went to stand to come with me. But I motioned with my hand to stay where he was. I didn¡¯t need him behind me. I could fight my own battles, and this was my hotel, my workers, and he was my father. My father sat down while he waited, arms folded across his chest. Macey and Zoe stepped away, and I took their ce. ¡°Is there a problem, Alpha?¡± I asked. My father looked at me before his eyes went to those seated at his table, mouth opening and closing like a fish. My mother just stared unblinkingly at me while my father stumbled for words. Ava, however, snickered before covering her mouth, trying to stifle herughter. ¡°Ah, yes. I wanted to speak to the owner,¡± my father finally says with a wave dismissing me, clearly, over his shock at seeing me. And yet, standing in a room full of alphas, he would still try to deny knowing me. That was fine. They were about to find out. ¡°You¡¯re looking at her,¡± I tell him, motioning to myself. If seeing me hadn¡¯t shocked him, then finding out I was the owner definitely did. ¡°But you¡¯re a rogue-whore,¡± he sneered. ¡°No, I am rogue, and that word will not be tolerated in my hotel, Alpha, or should I say, father?¡± I asked, smiling down at him. Chapter 67 Chapter 67 The collective gasp that left the table was audible, and I could see everyone looking in our direction while my father sputtered for words. However, Ava howled withughter. So much so that the Mayor¡¯ s wife looked at her as though she was absurd. It was really hard to keep myposure because my sister had the funniestugh. Ava had one of thoseughs that made youugh because the sound was ridiculous. My mother elbows her and shuts her up effectively with a re while my father growls at me. His canines slipped from between his parted lips as he red up at me. The Mayor¡¯s wife looked at my father questionably. ¡°You have another daughter?¡± she asked, clearly shocked by this news. Alpha Nixon, who was about my father¡¯s age, with thick blonde hairbed to one side, looked outraged as he stared at us all. My father tried to exin before turning his anger on me, and his hands pped the table, but I just stared unflinchingly. This was my home, and if he wanted to deny my existence, fine, but he wouldn¡¯t be doing it under my roof. My mother gripped his forearm, and she red at Alpha Nixon¡¯s wife like she was about to have a go at her, but a growl from my father had put her head down as he red daggers at me. ¡°You are not my daughter; you haven¡¯t been since the day you became a rogue ¨C whor- ¡± His words stopped when I felt tingles rush across my neck as fingertips and a warm palm cupped the side of it before moving to my shoulder. Valen¡¯s scent wafted to me before I felt his lips graze my jawline as he buried his face in the side of my neck. My father¡¯s anger dissolved as he stared in shock. Valen tugged me to his side when his hand moved down my arm to my waist, pulling me closer to him. The room turned silent, so silent you could hear a pin drop. ¡°I don¡¯t think I have introduced my mate, ¡± Valen said calmly, though his aura was deadly, and Alpha Nixon¡¯s wife dropped her head, her cheeks heating. I noticed how ufortable all the Alphas became in the room, the tension high as Valen, the most prominent figure in the City and strongest, most feared Alpha, addressed my father. My father huffed and shook his head before he blew up. Alpha Nixon red at my father, and my father looked at Ava, and she shrunk back in her seat. Although the smile never left her lips, this was prime entertainment for her. ¡°I know exactly who this rogue-whore is, and she is not your mate,¡± he added, shooting me a re. ¡°See, that is where you are wrong, Alpha John. Everly is no rogue-whore. She is my mate and Luna of the Nightshade Pack, ¡± Valen said. ¡°You are mistaken; this girl is a rogue-whore. I don¡¯t know what she has told Alpha Valen, but she has a son. She has tricked you,¡± my father dared to say. Murmurs broke out throughout the room. ¡°You mean Vrian?¡± Alpha Valen asked before turning to look at the back of the room where all the children were. I nced over to see Vrian watching us, and Valen waved him over. Vrian smiled and rushed to his father, and Valen bent down and picked him up with one arm. ¡°Who is that, daddy?¡± Vrian whispered, looking at my parents curiously. ¡°That is your grandfather, grandmother, and your Aunty Ava, ¡± Valen whispered to him and kissed his cheek. The whispers in the background grew louder as everyone watched the Blood Alpha, the most notorious Alpha in the City, doting on his son. My father sputtered, lost for words, and Valen gripped my waist tighter as he turned to look at my father. ¡°I¡¯d like to introduce you to my son, Vrian Sce. The resemnce is uncanny, don¡¯t you think?¡± Valen smirked, daring my father to deny what he was saying. Vrian could not be mistaken for anyone else¡¯s son; Valen¡¯s bloodline was the only bloodline in the City with a gic mutation that caused them all to have Amber eyes. No other wolf I havee across had that trait, and more than that, they had the same scent, and Vrian¡¯s aura could already be felt, showing he was born from not one Alpha but two Alpha wolves. Anyone looking close enough could tell they were father and son. If anyone had their doubts, no one spoke up. They knew better than to piss off my mate. ¡°The eyes, ¡± Alpha Nixon murmured, looking at Vrian and Valen before staring up at my father questionably. He tossed his napkin on the table before turning his questioning to my father, and I saw a few other alphas stand and look over at my son and Valen, also recognizing the obvious traits most looked past when seeing my son. Cameras shed around us everywhere, and I knew this would be sshed all over the morning paper tomorrow and in news headlines. ¡°Did you know?¡± Alpha Nixon asked, looking at my father and mother. My mother had her head down, not liking the change in direction and the usation behind Alpha Nixon¡¯s words. ¡°How could he? Alpha John had her existence wiped from every database in the City the moment she refused to abort my grandson,¡± came Kalen¡¯s voice as he came up behind us. ¡°We had a deal,¡± my father growled. ¡°And the deal still stands; you said Valen was to marry your daughter or are you going to continue to deny that Everly here is?¡± Kalen asked, and my father growled before ring at me. My father stood, and the veins in his neck bulged and throbbed with growing anger as he fought the urge to shift, his ws scratching down the table and slicing through the thin cloth. His entire body trembled with rage, and Valen passed Vrian to me before shoving me behind him. ¡°If you have an issue, John, about who my mate is, I suggest we take it outside,¡± Valen warned him, his tone deadly calm yet the warning clear. My father knew he was no match for Valen, maybe in his younger years, but not now? Valen¡¯s aura outmatched all those in this room, and one thing about auras is it was a warning for who you were messing with. And Valens outweighed everyone here, proving he was the real King of this City. No one in this room was daring enough to go up against him. He didn¡¯t get the title of the blood Alpha for not shedding blood and destroying those who challenged him. My father sneered before looking down at my mother, who had remained silent. ¡°We are leaving, ¡± He growled at her, grabbing her arm and ripping her up to stand by his side. My father stood, pulling my mother with him as everyone at the surrounding tables jumped away. ¡± Ava now!¡± My father boomed, and she smirked as she stood before speaking loud enough that the entire room heard the following words that left her lips. No doubt she would pay for them when she got home, but I could see the defiance and determination to call my father out publicly. ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. ¡°I¡¯ll catch youter, sis,¡± she chuckled, pecking my cheek as she went to pass me before cupping Vrian¡¯s cheek with her hand. ¡°Gosh, how you have grown, and damn, you look like your father,¡± she laughed and sent me a wink. My father growled and snarled, baring his teeth at her, and she smiled before strolling after my father. ¡°Well, that was an interesting change in events,¡± I heard an Alpha say from another table. I nced over at the man, and he undid his tie, tossing it on the table. ¡°Indeed it is,¡± Alpha Nixon and also the city mayor said as he pursed his lips. I turned and stared after my father as he shoved through the exit doors, the media outside snapping photos, and we all heard his furious growl ring out through the night, making them jump away and scatter in fright. ¡°Back to the celebrations, everybody. I need a drink, ¡± Kalen said, breaking the strange tension that had returned. Passing Vrian back to Valen, he looked at me. ¡± What¡¯s wrong?¡± he asked, and I shook my head. ¡°I¡¯ll be back,¡± I told him, darting off and out the doors after my family that had left. The camera lights hurt my eyes as I tried to look for the car. Spotting it, I rushed over to them before my mother could get in. ¡°Mum?¡± I called, and she looked at me before looking back at the car. She moved toward me, and my father got back out of the car and yelled at her to get back in. I clutched her hands, and my father¡¯s fury was enough to keep the media away. No one darede close enough to hear us. My mother hugged me, and my father growled and screamed at her. ¡°I have to go,¡± she whispered, with tears in her eyes. She nced at my furious father, who was about to stalk over to her, no doubt to drag her back to the car. ¡°I will call you. Now I know where you are, he can¡¯t keep me away. I have to go before your fatheres over.¡± ¡°Wait, just let me,¡± she shook her head and squeezed my fingers. ¡°I have to go. I need to calm your father down. You have no idea what you have just done,¡± she said, confusing me before rushing off and past my father, who stalked toward her. He stopped looking me up and down and sneered, about to say something before looking over my shoulder. I turned to see what he was looking at, only to see Valening up behind me. My father growled before turning on his heel and returning to his car. Valen wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me against him and away as my father reversed out of his parking spot. My father tore out of the ce, speeding off down the road. I sighed; what a long night. Valen kissed my cheek before pressing his nose into my neck. ¡°Are you okay?¡± he whispered, and I nodded, wondering what my mother meant by her words. ¡± I will be,¡± I told him before letting him lead me back to the restaurant. Chapter 68 Chapter 68 Toward the end of the night, everyone had calmed down, and the cleanup began. In spite of the exhaustion and aching feet from standing on them all night, after the incident with my father, the night turned out well. In addition to introducing me to many people, Valen made an official announcement to the media at the end of the meeting. Therefore, as everything was about toe to an end for the night, I was eager to crawl into bed. However, I noticed Kalen lingered a little longer when Valen came over with Vrian asleep in his arms. ¡°I have people on the way to help with cleaning up; they will be here soon. Come home, I need to get him to bed,¡± Valen said, leaning down. Valen pecks my lips when I looked up at him and I smooth down Vrian¡¯s hair when Kalen walks over to us. ¡°Actually, can I speak with you for a minute?¡± Kalen asked, and my eyes went wide. He wasn¡¯t seriously going to tell him, now was he? ¡°Ah sure,¡± Valen motioned toward a nearby table, but Kalen shook his head and reached for Vrian. Valen watched him, staring oddly at his father while my heart beat frantically in my chest. Kalen handed Vrian to me and I grabbed him; Valen¡¯s brows wrinkled, and I could feel his confusion through the bond. ¡°We can stay here for the night,¡± I told Valen, and he nodded. ¡°Fine, I will be up in a minute; just let me go lock my car back up,¡± he tells his father before walking off. ¡° I didn¡¯t mean right now,¡± I hissed at Kalen when Valen was far enough away.. ¡°I need to get it over with; it¡¯s time Everly. Besides, if I don¡¯t do it now, I worry I won¡¯t be able to bring myself to do it,¡± he sighed. I chewed my lip, slightly worried about what would happen; looking toward the car park where Valen went to lock his car, I sighed before nodding. ¡°I¡¯ll get Zoe to watch him for me and I will be back in a minute,¡± I told him, before quickly escaping back to the apartment. Zoe was also setting Casey down to bed when I walked in. Marcus was resting on the couch with his head back. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. ¡°Fun night,¡± Marcus chuckled, while shaking his head. ¡°It¡¯s about to get worse too,¡± I told him and he sat up, but I shook my head instead, quickly taking Vrian to bed and stripping his shoes off and jacket before tucking him in. He would pitch a fit in the morning about sleeping in his clothes, but right now I had bigger issues to deal with, like the explosion I was expecting when the news of Valerie came out.. ¡°Zoe, can you watch him for me for a few minutes?¡± I asked, her while walking back out to the living room. She was removing her shoes and looked over at me. ¡°Of course, is everything alright?¡± she asked and no sooner than she said it, did Marcus jerk upright when we heard a thunderous growl that was clearly an Alpha¡¯s roar of rage. My heart skipped a beat as I ran for the door. Marcus though, was faster beating me down the steps and he took off. The door flung against the door with a bang and I cringed at the sound, hoping it didn¡¯t wake the kids as I raced across the gardens to the restaurant. Horrified staff stared out the window at the parking lot and Marcus shoved through them and out the doors. I gasped when I saw Valen punching into his father. Kalen was on the ground while Valen rained blow after blow into his face. Blood spraying everywhere and I pushed past my stunned workers and through the ss doors just as Marcus grabbed him, ripping him away from his face only for Valen to m his hands into Marcus¡¯ s chest andunch him, backward and into the side of a car. His body creating an outline in the metal as Marcus shook himself out, looking dazed. ¡°Valen, stop,¡± I called out to him while racing over to him. He snarled and punched his father again, and I grabbed his arm. Kalen didn¡¯t even fight back and had his arms up, letting his son pummel him bloody. Valen roared when I grabbed his arm and yanked it back, making me fall backward. My ass smacked the ground, and I grunted at the impact. The hard ground caused my tailbone to ache. ¡°Valen stop,¡± I screamed, getting to my feet again and grabbing him. My grip on both his arms, however, was ineffective. Having never seen him so angry before, I was afraid he would kill him. Despite my minimal weightpared to his muscled frame, I shoved him and was pretty sure that I injured myself in the process. I toppled on top of him and he sat up, but I scrambled back and moved in front of Kalen as Valenunched himself at him. In anticipation of the impact, I closed my eyes, but the crash nevere when a ferocious growl screamed from him and my eyes opened. The gasp that left me stuttered as I found myself suddenly nose to nose with his wolf form that towered over me. He lifted his paw in the air with ws extended, looking for a kill before they abruptly retracted as he ced the paw on my shoulder. I could feel Kalen shaking behind me and Valen snarled, snapping his teeth at his father¡¯s legs. I grabbed his furry head and pulled on his ears to draw his attention away from his father. ¡°Stop,¡± I said in a barely audible whisper after catching sight of his eyes sparkling with tears, and he struck my hands down with a massive paw. He sat up, blood streaming down his face, and Valen paced in his wolf form to find a way past me to reach his father. However, I knew he wouldn¡¯t attack me to get to him. Chapter 69 Chapter 69 ¡°I¡¯m sorry, son,¡± Kalen choked out and groaned. Turning my head, I looked at him. Kalen¡¯s face was so swollen he was barely recognizable. He coughed before cing his fingers in his mouth and removing a tooth. Valen¡¯s answer was a growl when I helped Kalen to stand. The sound of cracking bones reached my ears as I heard Valen shift back behind me. Keeping a grip on Kalen, who was unsteady on his feet, we moved toward his car, and I fished his keys out of his pocket and unlocked his car for him. ¡°I¡¯m alright, dear. Go, check on my son,¡± he hissed, falling heavily in his seat. With a nod, I turned to find Valen had walked back to his car. ¡°Valen?¡± I called, and he turned to look at me as I walked over to him. The look he gave me made me stop. ¡°You knew, you knew and said nothing,¡± he said and bit the inside of my lip and nodded. Hurt shone in his eyes as Valen looked at the Hotel. ¡°She gave you this ce, didn¡¯t she?¡± he asked. My lips quivered as he turned his gaze back to me. ¡± She recognized your son,¡± I told him, and he sucked in a deep breath. ¡°You should have told me,¡± he said, and I could feel his heartbreaking, the sadness for a loss he didn¡¯t actually lose all those years, the sinking feeling that I betrayed him. ¡°Valen, wait. Just let me.¡± He got in his car and mmed the car in reverse, smacking into the brick garden out front of the main office before tearing out of the driveway. The engine of his car roared as he floored it down the street. ¡°I take it that is what you meant when you said it would get a lot worse?¡± Marcus said as I rubbed my arms against the cool breeze. He stopped beside me with a groan while rubbing his lower back, and Kalen pulled out of the parking space before winding down his window. ¡°He will forgive you. It¡¯s me he is truly angry at, ¡± Kalen said with a sigh. I nodded and watched him leave. Three dayster. The only time I had heard from Valen was via text message. Three days had passed, and he was still angry at me. I knew he spent most of those days drunk. Could feel the unease sitting in my stomach through the bond. Standing out front of the school, Vrian and I waited for him toe to get him, yet the feeling through the bond was like he was passed out and asleep. In no way was I letting my son go with him if he was drunk. Therefore, I hoped it was just my guilt for not telling him sooner. ¡°What time is it?¡± Vrian asked me, looking both ways down the street for his father¡¯s car. Retrieving my phone from my pocket, I nced at the time and sighed. He was almost an hourte. ¡°He wille, he promised on the phone,¡± Vrian said while nodding his head and walking back to the bench seat that sat in front of the school. I wandered over to him and sat next to him. ¡°Maybe he is in traffic?¡± Vrian said, fidgeting with his fingers. ¡°How about we ring him when we get home? Maybe he is busy,¡± ¡°But he promised he would be here,¡± Vrian said while looking at me teary-eyed. He had been asking for his father since the morning after the Alpha meeting. Asking where he was and when he could see his father and I kept making up excuses. 1 ¡°Did you have a fight?¡± he asked, and I turned to look at him. ¡°You did. You upset him and made him leave us, didn¡¯t you?¡± This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. ¡°No, he is upset about his mother,¡± I tell him, and his eyebrows furrow. ¡°But Nana died years ago?¡± ¡°And people stay sad for a long time,¡± I tried to exin. ¡°Well, you can take me to him,¡± Vrian said, hopping up and walking toward the car. I tried to ring Valen on the short walk back to my truck, but he didn¡¯t pick up. ¡°I don¡¯t think he is home. We can try to ring him when we get back home.¡± ¡°No! He promised me. I want to see him. I want my dad!¡± Vrian screamed at me. Startled at his outburst, I stared at him before pulling myself together and kneeling beside him, wiping the tears that streaked down his cheeks. ¡°Vrian, I don¡¯t think you should see him right now. Your father needs time,¡± I tell him, but he shakes his head. ¡°What if he needs me, please, Mum! Please, ¡± Vrian begged, and I dropped my head and pinched the bridge of my nose. I sighed before looking back at his big amber eyes filled with tears. ¡°Fine, but we just knock, and if he doesn¡¯t answer, we go home,¡± I tell him, and he nods. Vrian bounced on his heels excitedly and raced toward my car, climbing in the back and buckling himself in. Jumping into the driver¡¯s seat, we headed to his Hotel. The regret I felt upon stepping out of that elevator was instant. No guards stood in the corridor, yet the smell of liquor had Vrian pinching his nose. Grabbing his arm, I tried to steer him back into the elevator when he took off, racing down the hall. I chased after him when he pushed inside the door that was wide open. ¡°Dad! Dad!¡± Vrian screams excitedly before he falls silent. Rushing through the door, I could see Vrian standing in the hall, where it opens up to the living room. Vrian looked over his shoulder at me before looking back into the mess. ss crunched under his shoes as he walked off in search of his father. ¡°Vrian, wait,¡± I called, trying to catch up to him, only to stop when I walked in and saw it for myself. Broken ssy everywhere, the couches were upturned, and the china was broken, blood spatter was on the walls, and the ce looked like it had been burgled. I followed the soundsing from Vrian before finding him standing in the doorway to the bathroom. ¡°Dad?¡± Vrian murmured, and I gripped his shoulder only to find Valen passed out on the tiled floor. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with him?¡± Vrian asked, looking around at the mess. I could tell that now he had found his father. He was on the verge of a meltdown as he took in all the mess and the state of him. ¡°How about I ring Pop, and you stay with him for the night while I look after daddy, okay?¡± I asked him as he shook. His eyes teared up, and he nced over at his father on the floor. His entire body was shaking, and he nodded his head before stepping into the bathroom and leaning down to shake his father¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Dad? ¡± I heard him murmur, and his father groaned but didn¡¯t wake. Vrian leaned down and kissed his cheek. Pulling my phone from my pocket, I called Kalen, who said he was on his way over to collect Vrian for me. Once he had, I walked back into the house before cleaning the ce. Furious that he let it get this way, knowing full well what his son was like. The ce was trashed and stunk like a brewery. Sweeping up the ss and mopping the floor, I then walked back into the bathroom. Now that the hall was clear of ss, I dragged him to his room. It took me 20 minutes to lift him onto the bed. He groaned and mumbled but never woke, and by the time I was done, I was absolutely livid. I drove all the way back to the hotel, fuming and snatched the letter and the keys from his mother out of the safe before driving back. There was no excuse for breaking his son¡¯s heart as he did. Fair enough, he was pissed at me, but Vrian didn¡¯t deserve to see him like that, and I also med myself for bringing him here. About an hourter, I had found all the liquor bottles in the ce and started tipping them down the drain when a hungover Valen stumbled out, bumping into the TV unit and clutching his head in his hands. Ignoring him, I continued pouring the bottles down the sink when he rubbed his eyes. ¡°Everly?¡± he questioned, seeming confused before his eyes blew wide. ¡°What day is it?¡± he asked. ¡°Monday, you were supposed to pick Vrian up,¡± I told him, trying to keep the anger out of my tone. He muttered before he groaned and clutched his hair, banging on the side of his head with his fists. ¡°Why are you here?¡± He asked, staggering to the kitchen counter before falling onto a stool. He dropped his head onto his arms. ¡°Did you not hear me? You were supposed to pick him up, but instead we came here and found you passed out on the floor in the bathroom.¡± his head whipped up from his arms. ¡°Wait, Vrian was here?¡± he asked, and I red at him. ¡°Yes, you promised him, then he walked into this ce looking like a shithole with you drunk,¡± ¡°He saw me?¡± Vrian asked, and the feeling through the bond was guilt and panic as he looked around the room for him. ¡°Where is he?¡± he asked, getting up and rushing to his son¡¯s room. ¡°He is not here. Your father has him,¡± I told him, and he froze before snarling and turning on his heel and stalking toward me. ¡°You let him take him?¡± He growled angrily. ¡°Yes, because he asked for you and you were unavable. I understand you¡¯re upset, but don¡¯t punish your son for it, Valen, ¡± I told him, walking over to my handbag. I rummaged for the letter Vrie sent to me for him after her death. Her handwriting was on the front. I swallowed the lump that formed in my throat, and tears pricked my eyes just thinking of her before I turned around. Chapter 70 Chapter 70 ¡°She always watched; you just didn¡¯t know. She watched you your entire life. Don¡¯t let her down by having to watch you destroy yourself, ¡± I tell him before thrusting the letter at him. He takes it, reading his name on the front. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°From Vrie, it arrived in the mail a couple of weeks after her funeral along with a few others,¡± I told him, and he turned it over between his fingers. After shaking my head, I grabbed my bag from the counter and headed for the door. ¡°She¡¯s dead, Everly. He kept her from me, and now she¡¯s dead,¡± he said, and I stopped. Tears burned m y eyes as I stopped and turned to face him. ¡°She is only dead if you believe she is. That hotel is her legacy, hers. All those women and the rogues? She helped build that. I hated your father for so long and what he did to her; I may never forgive him for that, but if he hadn¡¯t, none of that would exist. All those people, she gave them their lives back, that hotel gave them their lives back. She isn¡¯t dead, Valen. Everything I am, Zoe is, Macey, your son, is her. Gone, yes, but she is not dead because no one will forget what she has given to us.¡± I told him. Valen shook his head before falling back onto the stool. He clutched his head in his hands, and his shoulders shook as he broke down. ¡°He lied; all those years he lied to me,¡± Valen cried, and I chewed my lip to stop it quivering before walking over to him. I ran my fingers through his hair before taking the letter from him. He looked at me, and I ced it in my handbag. C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Come with me?¡± I told him, and he shook his head. ¡°I want to show you something, ¡± I tell him, pulling on his hand. ¡°But first, you need to get dressed; you stink,¡± I tell him, groaning as I pull him to his feet, and he chuckles. He sniffles and tries to kiss me, but I pull away. ¡°Did you make out with an ashtray?¡± I asked him. ¡°That bad?¡± he asked, and I nodded, pushing him toward the bathroom. I turned the shower on, and he pulled his clothes off. After retrieving him a towel and fresh clothes, I sat next to the sink basin. I messaged Kalen and checked on Vrian, who he said was asleep. When Valen got out, he changed, smelling and looking like the man I loved. ¡°So, where are we going?¡± he asked as I retrieved my bag and keys. ¡°You¡¯ll see,¡± I told him, leading him down to my car, his mother¡¯s old car. ¡°This was hers, wasn¡¯t it?¡± he asked, stepping aside and staring at it. Biting the inside of my lip, I nodded before chuckling. ¡°She taught Zoe how to drive in this thing. It¡¯s why it has a dent in the back,¡± I chuckled, pointing it out. He looked at the back tailgate at the pole mark, where she reversed into it. ¡°I almost crushed it,¡± he whispered. ¡°But you didn¡¯t. Good thing too. All the letters were in the glovepartment,¡± I told him before climbing in. Valen hopped in beside me as I started her up. He stared vacantly out the window for most of the drive. ¡°What was she like?¡± he asked as we pulled up at my hotel. ¡°I¡¯ll show you,¡± I told him, climbing out of the car. Valen¡¯s brows furrowed, but he reluctantly got out. Grabbing his hand, I walked him around to the storage sheds at the far back of the property closest to the reserve. Digging through my bag, I retrieved the keys I got earlier when I went home to grab the letter. I unlocked the padlock and kicked the slide lock. ¡°It wasn¡¯t until after she passed and I was going through her things that I realized why your father was so afraid to have her by his side. This, this is who your mother was, ¡± I told him, lifting the roller door. The shudder groaned as it rolled and banged open. Leaning in, I flicked on the lights. The fluorescent lights blinked before buzzing, staying on, lighting up the huge shed. Valen gasped and stepped inside, and I followed behind him. The room was not only filled with all her belongings but her past. ¡°Your mother came from a wealthy family. This hotel was the first one built in Mountainview City. The City was built around it. Vrie¡¯s father refused to join any packs as they formed around the City.¡± I told him as he looked around the ce. ¡°All this is hers,¡± he asked, looking back at me, and I nodded. Vrie had a lot of secrets, most I kept close to me, ones I never knew, but she trusted me with after her death. ¡°After her parents passed, they left her this ce, your father discovered her, and they had you, but because of all this, and the uproar she caused in her younger years, your father worried about it damaging his reputation, ¡± I told him, ncing at all the banners that hang from the walls. The posters and huge blown pictures of all the rallies she attended. ¡°She wasn¡¯t a rogue-whore like everyone thought. I believed she was like me. It wasn¡¯t until she died that I understood what she meant when she said me and her were the same. She was mibeled like me. She allowed everyone to see her that way, but she wasn¡¯t. Your mother was an activist. An Activist for the Rogues, and all this and the hotel were all hers. Her legacy and what she fought for.¡± I told him, grabbing a picture off the wall. I handed it to him; it was a blown-up newspaper clipping, Vrie front and center leading the protest with her banner held high, passing him another. It was of her standing on the roof of a cop car to rally her troops. ¡°She stopped when she fell pregnant with you. Everyone eventually forgot. Then I met her, and she met her grandson, and she started fighting all over again, only this time instead of fighting in the streets, she gave the rogues a home, and she asked me to continue it, ¡± I told him, looking around at the memories that were once hers. Moving to the back, I grabbed an old scrapbook. It was old and heavy, filled with every news clipping of her son, and at the back were photos of every event he attended that she snuck into. Grabbing the other down, it was of him growing up. I handed it to him, and he looked down at them before moving to clear off a box. I stood off to the side and watched him open it. ¡°She always watched Valen. She was there; you just didn¡¯t know it. ¡± Valen nodded, turning the pages. I handed him back his letter before giving him the key. ¡°I will let you look. Just lock up when you¡¯re done.¡± I tell him before pressing my lips to his shoulder. ¡°You kept it all these years?¡± he asked, and I looked over at him. My lips quivered, and I cleared my throat. This ce always reminded me of her. ¡°Yes, because she wasn¡¯t just your mother, Valen. For a while, she was also mine,¡± Valen nodded and turned back to the scrapbook. I smiled sadly before turning and walking back to my apartment, wiping my tears as I went. Chapter 71 Chapter 71 I wasn¡¯t sure howte it was when Valen came in, but I felt him slip into bed beside me before snuggling into my back. Although when I woke up, he was gone, his side of the bed was cold, and I wondered what time he got up and left. I did, however, notice Valerie¡¯s not had been opened because it sat on the bedside table. Picking it up, I ced it back in its envelope before tucking it away in the top drawer where it wouldn¡¯t get ruined. Racing around, I quickly got dressed for work. Marcus had taken Casey to school for Zoey. She was also running around getting changed, hopping on one foot as she slipped her shoe on because both of us were alreadyte. Kalen had already taken Vrian to school. Kalen had sent me a picture of Valerian and him at the school gate, so the only thing I had to do today was pick him up when he finished. In the meantime, I had never-ending work at the hotel, having fallen behind in recent days with all the added drama. With the cleanup and multiple rooms that needed cleaning after the ce was packedst night, I was already exhausted just thinking about my never-ending list. With a groan, I dragged myself down to the restaurant, knowing that was the first major task, taking inventory to order new stock in. However, Zoe came rushing in halfway through, scaring the living daylights out of me when she squealed loudly. ¡°Evie,e quick, you have to see this,¡± she gushed excitedly, waving me to follow her. I held up my notepad, but she was practically bouncing on her heels with excitement. cing my notepad down with a sigh, I followed her into the staff lunchroom, which was packed and full of staff members as they crowded around the small TV in here when they should be working. ¡°What, Jesus, Zoey, I have things to do,¡± I whined a t her when she reached over and grabbed my hand, ripping me to the front as she pushed past everyone. My feet halted when I saw the TV screen. Looking for the remote, I noticed Sarah had it and took it from her, turning the news up. A reporter stood out in front of the rogue primary school, and huge buses were lined up along the road. The news reporter stood between them, but what was most shocking was Valen standing in the background talking to men in construction uniforms. My brows furrowed, wondering what he was doing a t the school when the new anchorwoman started speaking. C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. Recently I received some news that Alpha Valen has made a significant turn for the better, or so he ims. It is not just that he epted a rogue as a mate, he has opened all of his borders to the rogues, permitting them to pass through or even move into his territory. Alpha Valen stated that other Alpha¡¯s should ept change and follow by opening up the borders,¡± ¡°As you can see behind me, he has also gone a step further and has epted all students from this rundown school and weed them into the pack schools on his territory. His bizarre behavior is believed to be a result of learning the son of his rogue mate, who he also ims is his own, attends this school,¡± the woman said. She then prattled about some other crap he was supposedly up to and how I managed to fool the Alpha with oundish ims that Vrian was his. Turning, I looked at all my staff when Zoe shook my arm. ¡°Did you know?¡± she asked. I shook my head. I had no idea whatsoever; he left this morning without telling me where he was going. ¡± I knew he said he would open up the borders, but, ¡± I shake my head, trying to wrap my head around the news, it seemed too good to be true. ¡°That¡¯s not all; he is turning the old school into a homeless shelter; Marcus rang me this morning. This morning, Valen also put a statement out for any Rogues looking for work. Telling them they could apply through all his personally owned businesses as well weing them to apply for any positions avable on his packnd,¡± Zoe eximed. ¡°We also had workers out at themune this morning,¡± Sarah said behind her, making me turn to look at her. ¡°Construction workers?¡± I asked. ¡°Yes, they were ripping the fences down that bordered on his pack and said they were building a road into the ce,¡± Sarah tells me. I blink, unsure what to say; turning back to the TV, it was footage of kids lining up to get on the buses to go to their new school. ¡°About time, things changed around here if only the other packs would adopt this change as well,¡± Sarah murmured, and I looked at Zoe and chewed my lip. ¡°Maybe we can make them?¡± I tell her, and her brows furrow. ¡°I¡¯m no longer Rogue; I am a Luna of the city now. I can petition the council, remove thews,¡± ¡°Girl, do you have any idea how hard that is? I looked into that shit years ago. You need to have at least s council member signatures on that, and as far as I can tell, you will only get two, yours and Valens. The other three packs won¡¯t agree, and no way your father will sign after the dramasst night, ¡± Sarah tells me, and I sigh. ¡°Alpha Nixon and his wife definitely won¡¯t sign, ¡± I murmur to myself so that only left one other Alpha and Luna, so I would still be a signature short, and that is if they agreed. ¡°Not to mention you need them to agree before you can even bring before the council members. You can bring it forth, but that doesn¡¯t mean they will agree to hear it, let alone call in a meeting over it,¡± Macey says, getting up from her spot on the small sofa, also thinking. ¡°We will find a way. First, I have to petition for it anyway, which will take a couple of days,¡± ¡°No, first you need to let Valen mark you. You aren¡¯t Luna until he does,¡± Macey tells me with a smirk on her face. Right, that too, I guess.¡± I admit. Suddenly feeling nervous, though I knew I didn¡¯t need to be, old anxieties were hard to let go of. Yet looking back at the TV screen, there is no one else I would rather be tied to than my mate. Chapter 73 Chapter 73 Everly POV Finally, everything was back in order, and I decided that I couldn¡¯t put it off any longer. Since Vrian was with his father for a few more hours. I decided I would go out to the reserve and shift. After everything with the forsaken and the missing rogues, I had been putting it off because I promised I would take Vrian with me next time. Yet, as much as I wanted to keep that promise, it wasn¡®t a promise I could keep without putting him at risk. However, it had been ages since I shifted, and I was also nervous about what I knew would be an excruciating transformation. Going through the gate, I pulled my small backpack off my shoulder before ncing around nervously. This ce was too quiet today, far too quiet, and it set my sense on edge, yet I was already here, and I needed to do this as much as I was dreading it. I removed my clothes and quickly tucked them into my backpack and stuffed it inside a hollow log. The shift took longer than usual but surprisingly; it wasn¡¯t as painful. I flexed my ws in the moist soil and stretched out before running deeper into the forest; one thing I noticed though, my wolf form didn¡¯t tire as fast, and after half an hour where I would usually be dead on my feet and dragging my ass out of the forest, I was keen to keep going. I suppose I had marking Valen to thank for that. In spite of that, my wolf was still a tiny wolf and not what you would expect from an Alpha female. After another hour, I was about to turn around when I heard the sounds of a whimper. My ears pricked and twitched on top of my head when I tried to find where the noise wasing from when I heard it again. The breeze switched, and the soft scent of blood reached my nose. My eyes scanned the trees as I followed my nose. There was a scent that I swear I had smelled before, but I couldn¡¯t ce it; I just knew it was a rogue scent. However, the next whimper I heard couldn¡¯t be mistaken that someone was in trouble, and I picked up my pace, sniffing the ground and air while listening. Looking for any indication of where they were. I was bing dangerously close to the boundary line that led into forsaken territory, a ce I hoped I wouldn¡¯t have to venture out to. Yet the choking cough I heard next had me running toward the high fences, and my eyes blew wide when I saw a pair of forsaken ripping into something on the ground. The scent of blood reached my nose stronger, and I quickly I where I had smelled that particr scent before. Bile rose in my throat as I tried to find a way through the fence. Racing along it, trying to find a gap big enough for me to squeeze through, or I would have to climb it and risk being torn to pieces by the razor wire that ran along the top. My growl was surprisingly louder as I snarled at the two forsaken tearing into her. Trying to draw their attention to me and away from her. If I left and came back, she would be dead long before I got help, and I cursed myself not letting Valen mark me because we would have the mind link, and my phone was tucked in my bag closer to the hotel. One of the forsaken. ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. looked in my direction before growling as my paws hit the fence when I felt the bottom of the fence pull away slightly from the ground, the mesh flimsy in this section. I started digging, m y paws ws ripping into the soft earth as I tried to dig under the fence and create a hole just big enough to squeeze through. Yet my wolf form was still too big for the gap when I shifted back, my bones snapping painfully as adrenaline shot through me, and I forced the shift too quickly, making it increasingly painful, and I was about to shove my head and shoulder under before quickly turning, knowing my neck would be to exposed. ¡°Hang on, Emily,¡± I called, forcing my legs under the fence and grabbing the mesh with my fingers while on my back; I forced myself under the fence. The wire scratched and cut into me when I heard a snarl just as Iid t on my back, attempting to shimmy under it. My teeth sank into my legs before I was suddenly ripped through it by one of the forsaken grabbing m e. My face, torso, and arms were all cut by the wire. I screamed as it tore into my leg. I kicked my other leg out, hitting its head before trying to shift back as I pivoted, only for it to sink its teeth into the side of my torso. Grabbing the mesh fence with one hand, my other came in contact with a rock. I gripped it and swung, smashing into the top of its head as hard as I could. It let go of my leg and shook its head, and I swung again, not giving it a chance to get its bearings smashing the rock repeatedly into its head, blood coating my skin on the back spray as I caved its skull in and nearly made myself sick at what I did. Its dying whimper received the other one¡¯s attention, and my eyes widened when it snarled and rushed at me. My heart pounded as it hurled itself a t me, all teeth and ws going for the kill. My panic forced the shift quickly as I ran at it. Our bodies collide in a mess of fur, ws, and teeth. Memories of pack training, things I thought I would have surely forgotten after all these years, kicked in as we fought. The forsaken was ripping into me but being smaller, I was able t o move a little bit more efficiently, escaping some lethal blows just in the nick of time and aiming my teeth and ws at the softer tissue of his torso, tearing into him piece by piece slowly weakening him, his teeth sink my hip and I sunk my teeth into his armpit and fore chest, which made him let go. I pivoted, sinking my teeth into his stomach above his thigh and shaking my head. He bounces back before staggering, his intestines and organs protruding from the wound I gave him, and I knew I had no time to waste. I immediately gripped onto his neck and shook my head. His body fell limply on the ground, and I panted, trying to catch my breath when I heard a groan making me spin. Shifting as I raced to Emily, who was lying naked in the dirt in her human form. I skidded along the ground mid-shift, grazing my hands and knees as I stopped beside her, gripping her shoulders. Her hands were clutching the back of her neck as shey twisted on her side. The forsaken had torn into her pretty severely and appeared to have been eating her thigh and hip. It was almost as if she was too weak to go on and had copsed, and they had stumbled upon her thinking she was a leisurely meal in her weakened state. Rolling her onto her back, she whimpered, and her eyes flew open. Her eyes were bloodshot, her hair matted. She blinked rapidly, and her eyes rolled into her head. ¡°Everly,¡± she murmured, and I looked over her body, trying to figure out how I would get her back through the fence. ¡°Right here, I¡¯m right here,¡± I try to tell her, looking around for something that would aid us. ¡°You need to get my son,¡± she murmurs, and I look at her. ¡°Where is Eric, Emily? Where is he?¡± I ask her, looking around for any sign of her son. ¡°The facility.¡± Emily gasped. ¡°I have to get my son,¡± she whispered, and her eyes rolled into her head. I shook her, gripping her shoulders, trying to rouse her awake. ¡°What facility Emily, where is he?¡± I asked, and her lips that were cracked and bleeding moved, but no sound came out. Her face burned and blistered from the sun, told me she had been out here for a while. ¡°Emily!¡± I said, shaking her before cursing when she fell unconscious. Grabbing her under the arms, I started dragging her toward the fence. If I could roll her under at least to that side, I could go for help, but she would be left open for prey on this side if I ran for help. I dragged her toward the fence before making the hole I was digging bigger and, using my feet, pushed her under while lifting the mesh as much as I could by pulling it toward me. Using my hands, I started pushing her so I could squeeze under next when I heard growls behind me, and I froze. Emily was now safe on the other side of the fence while I was still in the forsaken territory. I turned my head to see three forsaken stalking toward me, teeth bared. I frantically started pushing her, hoping to get under before they reached me. Forcing my head and shoulders under the fence, I was just pulling myself through when I felt teeth sink into both my ankles. I screamed, gripping onto Emily¡¯s naked, unconscious body a s they tried ripping me back under the fence, my fingers slipping, and I tried to turn to grip the fence when another set of teeth sank into my thigh, and I was ripped back under the fence at an rming speed and tossed. My scream of agony made my ears ring as I got to my hands and knees, only for one of them to pounce on my back and start tearing into me. Chapter 74 Chapter 74 Walking up the steps to Everly¡¯s apartment, I push the door open and call out to her, ¡°Everly!¡± I got no answer, and Vrian ducked off to his room, and I could hear Zoeing up the steps behind me. Walking through the ce, I walk into her room to find her uniform on the bed. As I walked back to the living room, Zoe walked in, dumping Casey¡¯s stuff on the table. ¡°Have you seen Everly? She didn¡®t answer when I rang on my way here,¡± I asked her. ¡°No, she was in the restaurant earlier; I thought she would be here.¡± Zoe shrugged. ¡°Maybe ask Tatum, wasn¡¯t he on guard duty today?¡± Zoe asked while flicking the kettle on ¡°No, he had to go to a border patrol meeting today,¡± I tell her when Zoe picks up her phone. ¡°A h, she has gone on a run at the reserve,¡± Zoe says, and I walk over, snatching the phone from her fingertips. The text message was sent two hours ago. My heart skips a beat, knowing the borderlines aren¡¯t secure. C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. ¡°Watch Vrian,¡± I tell her, taking off and jumping over the guardrail on the balcony. Landing on the ground, I raced toward the back end of the Hotel. I had been ringing her for over two hours. She shouldn¡¯t have been gone that long, she told me herself. She can¡¯tst long in her wolf form. I ran for the back of the property and heard Zoe call out to me, but I didn¡®t stop. Instead, I hit the gate that hard it flew open and smashed into the fence, Sniffing the air for any sign of her as I run. I find her scent coming to a log before reaching into it and pulling out her bag. I opened up the mind link, ordering all my men to this side of the border to find her as I frantically looked between the trees. ¡°Everly.¡± I scream out to her. My chest squeezes painfully as something feels like it is tugging, goosebumps rising on my arms, and I just know something terrible has happened. I didn¡®t even get three steps before the shift took over, and I was racing through the forest, looking for any sign of her. Cursing myself that she wasn¡¯t marked because I would have found her in seconds. Partway through the woods, I heard a scream, and my stomach dropped. Adrenaline courses through me as I race toward the sound, her screams bing louder and the sounds of snarls and fighting reach my ears. I skidded into the fence, my paws digging into the earth as I mmed against it. Three Forsaken were tearing into her, and she was covered in blood as she tried to shift, Racing along the fence line, I try to find a way out when she yelps, shifting when a brown matted one rips into her neck, flinging her across the dirt. Backing up, I look at the fence, coils of razor wire wrapping around the top. I shift back before backing up further and running at the fence, grabbing th e mesh with my fingers and climbing the mesh before jumping over the top. The wire tangled around my arms, torso, and legs. Tearing at my flesh, I felt it drag across my entire body before my weight ripped me to the other side. My entire body sliced to pieces as I hit the ground mid-shift. My paws hit the dirt, and I growled viciously, the sound more of a roar. They freeze, all spinning towar intruder, and my eyes went to Everly, who was trying to crawl away. One of her legs was broken, her shin bone jutting out past her skin and I couldn¡¯t see a clear speck of flesh that wasn¡¯t drenched in blood. The forsaken turned their full attention on me, snapping and snarling as they tried to circle around me. Not giving them time, I attacked, ripping into one while the other two ripped into me. I barely felt their bites as I pulled them apart, utterly numb with my rage as I tore into the brown one¡¯s neck and shook my head. 1 Fur and blood flying everywhere, including mine, coated the ground. I could feel my men getting closer as I killed the first one before pivoting and sinking my teeth into another one¡¯s face, tearing his ear off before biting his muzzle. The crunch of teeth breaking and his blood getting into my mouth made me lock my jaw while the other tore into my side and back leg, trying to get me off him. His wails and screams echoed when I felt his jaw snap and pop. I let go, turning on the other and ripping into his rear hind leg, the bone cracking between my teeth under pressure, and I shook my head. He yelped and howled as I ripped his leg off just as the other one hit me from the side, he had no control of his jaw as it hung limply, I tore into his neck, mming him down into the ground before tearing a chunk out just as snarls echoed through the air. Tatum was running toward us, and I gasped when I saw John¡¯s giant gray wolf lock its jaws around the forsaken¡¯s neck-snapping it in one bite before he repeatedly mmed it on the ground. My mene from everywhere. Blood drenched me, my wounds weren¡¯t healing quick, but I had one aim, and that was Everly. Rushing toward her. I find her leg was indeed broken, her side torn open severely, and a chunk from her thigh was gone. I started licking her wounds, and she pushed my face away. ¡°Stop, you¡®re injured,¡± she said, pushing my head with her hand, and I snapped at her fingers, ignoring her. ¡°Tatum help Emily,¡± Everly cried, and I lifted my head from her hip to see her point toward the fence line. Tatum rushed over, and I saw my men help him rip at the panel to get to her. Everly¡¯s hand dropped, and so did the rest of her as she passed out, almost as if her body just gave up on her now she knew she was safe. I keep licking her wounds, sealing them, so they stop bleeding before shifting back when I notice her fathere over. He sniffed her neck, and I snarled at him before scooping her up i n my arms. He also shifts back, looking everywhere but at his daughter¡¯s naked body in my arms. I tuck her closer, shielding her nudity. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± I growled at him. ¡°Your men rushed out of the meeting, I figured something had happened and followed,¡± he snapped back at me. His eyes go to Everly¡¯s face, her head falling back in my arms. ¡°She going to be alright?¡± he asked before clenching his jaw and looking away. ¡°She will be,¡± I tell him, turning my back on him and stalking off to the pulled-down fence ¡°Get your men to fix that fucking fence, John; they were supposed to be on patrol today,¡± I called over my shoulder. He growls but says nothing as I step through into the reserve. One of my men scoops up Emily, and I stop. ¡°She good?¡± ¡°No idea,¡± he says. The girl didn¡¯t look too good ¡°Get her to the pack hospital,¡± I tell him, and he takes off running with her. ¡°Already mind link for ambnces. They will be waiting out front. I told Marcus to hang back for them. He is out there gging them down,¡¯ Tatum says, and I nod before looking at my other men. ¡°Guard the fence until John¡¯s men get here to fix it,¡± Imand ¡°Yes, boss,¡± I hear them say just before I take off Running. Chapter 75 Chapter 75 Valen POV I ced Everly in the waiting ambnce, ordering Marcus to watch Vrian for me since he remained behind with Zoe. Once we got to the hospital, Emily was ced in an induceda; they had no idea what was wrong with her, just know that Forsaken saliva was poisonous; the amount of bacteria they carried had baffled us for years. We weren¡¯t sure what changed in their DNA once made forsaken, which is part of the reason our city rarely banishes those out. Everly was slowly healing and had dripsing out of her everywhere and antibiotics. The infection ravaging her body was mild, and the few wounds I received had already healed. I had noticed that forsaken bites had never really affected me, something to do with the gic mutation in my bloodline, which was now shared with Vrian. Everly, however, didn¡¯t share it, although her marking me seemed to have some effect on her ability to heal a little quicker, whereas Emily was knocking at death¡¯s door. One of the pack doctors came in. He was an older man around my father¡¯s age, with grey hair tied at the back of his neck and growing a short beard. He walks in carrying Everly¡¯s notes in his hands. I had been sitting here for three days now, waiting for her to wake up. At least now, she had a bit more color about her. He checks the charts on the end of her bed before hooking another bag of something to her drip. ¡°She is doing much better. I suppose she has you to thank for that. Although she would heal a lot faster if you marked her,¡± Doc says to me. ¡°I know you don¡¯t want to mark her against her will. But Alpha, I am sure given the circumstance, she would understand,¡± Doc says when I go to protest. ¡°You said she is doing better,¡± I tell him, and he nods, ¡°She is, but she isn¡¯t out of the woods yet. You know how forsaken bites go. One minute they are fine, then the next,¡± He doesn¡¯t finish, instead, looking at Everly worriedly. I scrub my hands down my face before rubbing my eyes that felt like sandpaper. ¡°What of Emily?¡± I asked. Scouts scoured the area for her son but found no sign of him. We don¡¯t even know where she came from. Nothing made sense, and we had zero leads. ¡°She isn¡¯t doing so well; I am not sure she will make it. We had to amputate one of her legs already,¡± Doc tells me, and I sigh. ¡°Also, Everly¡¯s mother keeps ringing the hospital; Alpha John also has rang to check on her,¡± my brows furrowed. For years they wanted nothing to do with her, and now, suddenly, they gave a shit? ¡°What did you tell them?¡± I ask him. ¡°Nothing, of course, they aren¡¯t on her list of emergency contacts, but.¡± ¡°But what?¡± ¡°They are her parents, Alpha. Maybe you should let them know. You should probably go home too. I will ring if anything changes or if she wakes up,¡± I look over at Everly, still unconscious. The thought of leaving made my stomach turn, ¡°And think about what I said about marking her. She isn¡¯t dying, but it would speed things up. ¡°Doc tells me, and I bite the inside of my lip and nod. If she was on the brink of death, I would take her wrath, yet I wondered if she would hate me if I just marked her to speed up the healing process. Vrian kept asking for her, and I had managed to shield him away from what was really going on, but that would only last so long before he demanded to see her. Getting up, my back cracks, and I stretch, having been in that chair for days now. I walk overt o her bedside, running my fingers up her arm. Sparks zap at my fingers from the bond and goosebumps rose on her arms from my touch. ¡°Forgive me,¡± I whisper, leaning down and cupping the back of her neck. I kiss her lips and tilt her head to the side. Feeling my canines elongate, I sink them into her neck. Sparks rushed over my body everywhere, and I could taste the remnants of the poison in her blood, taste it o n my tongue before I felt my chest thump erratically in my chest. My chest felt like it was expanding, the bond forging, and I felt the moment our souls entwined, her sleepy state rolling over me, and she moaned in her sleep. Evenatose, she had always reacted to my touch, but this was something else. A deep longing like she was fighting toe back to me, her worry for Vrian. So many things gued her even whilst i n this state, and I could feel everything that made her her bleed into me. Everlypleted me and filled a void I wasn¡¯t aware existed until I marked her. Moving her over on the bed, I climbed in beside her, not wanting to leave her side, hoping my warmth and our bond would be enough to rouse her awake while also praying she didn¡¯t want t o kill me when she woke and realized I marked her without consent. But Doc was right, it would speed up her ability to heal, and she had our little boy waiting at home with my father for his mother toe home. I ended up falling asleep beside her, only to wake up when my phone started vibrating in my back pocket. There was no change in Everly. She still remained unconscious. Pulling my phone out, I yawned and nced at the screen. My father was calling. Answering it, I held the phone t o my ear. ¡°Yep,¡± I ask him. We still weren¡¯t talking yet; I trusted no one more than my father with Vrian. He may be why my mother is dead, but he was a good father. And I knew he would protect my son with his life. ¡°Vrian wants to see his mother. Now don¡¯t be mad, but I have brought him to the hospital. We are downstairs,¡± I growled. I didn¡¯t want Vrian to see her like this. ¡°Valen, don¡¯t make my mistakes. Don¡¯t keep him from her,¡± my father says. ¡°I would never make your mistakes, father,¡± I tell him before telling him the room number. I hop off the bed, trying my best to cover her a little better and hide the tubes and needles in her veins. However, it was pointless. Nothing I did would shield him from her helpless state. Hearing a knock on the door, 1 open it to see my father. Vrian stood peering around him with frightened eyes. ring at my father. He shrugs. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have brought him here; he looks terrified,¡± I tell my father, reaching down for my son. ¡°He misses his mother and you. What else was I supposed to do? He refused to go to school until he saw her,¡± he answers. I growl, turning to look at my son. His eyes peering over my shoulder at his mother, I step into the room, and my father follows, standing off to the side. ¡°See, she is alright; she is just sleeping,¡± I tell Vrian, squeezing him tight. It felt like ages since I saw himst. ¡°When will she wake up?¡± Vrian asks, kicking his legs to hop down. I ce him on his feet and hesitantly walk over to her. His eyes wander over her, and he tries to climb on the bed with her. I sigh, grabbing him around the waist. ¡°Mummy has needles in her arms; you have to be careful,¡± ¡°I want toy with her,¡± Vrian whines, clutching her nkets, and I look to my father. He presses his lips in a line and nods toward the bed. I suck in a breath. ¡°Okay, just let me move her around, but you to stay still,¡± I tell Vrian, and he nods. I rearranged the cords and different devices attached to her, and my father helped me prop her u p better, so she was kind of on her side. She didn¡¯t move an inch, which terrified me as we moved her around. I got nothing through the bond unless my skin touched hers briefly. Lifting Vrian up, he rolls on his side to face, sharing her pillow while my father and I try to untangle the cords attached to her hands. I ended up draping her arm over him, so the drip didn¡¯t kink. The trickiest part was moving her around and not ripping out the catheter. Somehow I managed it because that would have been embarrassing being scolded by the doctor for moving her when I probably shouldn¡¯t. ¡°If you want to hop off, tell me,¡± I tell him, but he snuggles down under the nket with her, his finger tracing over her face. I sigh and fall back into the chair. ¡°Go, get a coffee and something to eat. I will sit with them,¡± my father says, and my eyes got o my son, who was whispering to his mother to wake up. With a nod, I get up when Vrian speaks. ¡°You marked her?¡± he asks, sitting up on his elbow and ncing down at the wound on her neck. He brushes her hair back to look at it better before sniffing her. ¡°She smells like us now,¡± Vrian beams. ¡°Officially part of our big vige, Mumma,¡± he says, sniffing her again. ¡°So that means wee live with you now?¡± Vrian asks, his eyes lighting up. ¡°Let¡¯s just see what happens when your mother wakes up,¡± Vrian nods before prodding her mark with his finger as if he could rub it off. ¡°Why do we have to bite them to mark our mates? I don¡¯t want to bite Casey. She would probably taste like a troll,¡± Vrian says, pulling a face. ¡°Casey?¡± I ask him, and he shrugs before his little cheeks heat. ¡°I think the little man has a crush,¡± my father announces with a chuckle. ¡°I do not pop,¡± Vrian says, giving him a re and pursing his lips angrily. ¡°Then why would you say you didn¡¯t want to bite Casey because she would taste like a troll?¡± Iugh. ¡°Because she will be my mate,¡± Vrian announces, and I scratch the back of my neck awkwardly. ¡°But what if she isn¡¯t?¡± I ask him. ¡°But she is my best friend¡­ but so is Taylor. I don¡¯t want to bite them and get girl germs,¡± he says, confused. ¡°Well, lucky for you, you don¡¯t have to bite anyone any time soon,¡± I tell him, and my father chuckles. ¡°But aren¡¯t mates our best friends?¡± ¡°Yes, in a sense. But not all mates grow up together, Vrian. Casey and Taylor may have someone else for a mate,¡± I try to exin. ¡°No, I am their best friend. They can¡¯t have another boy as a best friend,¡± Vrian growls, startling me. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. ¡°I thought you said Casey was annoying?¡± Iughed. ¡°She is and she is messy, so is Taylor,¡± Vrian states. Iughed, turning to my father. ¡°Can I have two mates?¡± Vrian asks. ¡°Have fun,¡± Iughed, ditching him with the awkward questions. ¡°But?¡± my fatherins, looking like he also wanted to bail out with me. Sucker! ¡°I will bring you back coffee,¡± I tell him,ughing as I duck out of the room. Heading to the cafeteria, I order something to eat, grabbing Vrian and my father, something too. Waiting in the small cafeteria, I hear my name get called and go to the counter to retrieve the bag and cup tray. Turning around, I sigh when I see John and Ava looking out of ce in my pack hospital. Chapter 76 Chapter 76 Pressing my lips in a line, I walked over to them, where they were harassing the receptionist. ¡°Why are you in my territory?¡± I snap at him, and he turns his attention away from the girl behind the counter that looks relieved. ¡°Your doctors wouldn¡¯t answer my questions, and one hung up on my wife,¡± John says, pointing an using finger at me. ¡°Your point being?¡± ¡°She is our fucking daughter,¡± he snarled. ¡°What, now she is your daughter because you had no issues disowning her?¡± I snap at him, and he res at me. ¡°Lerve! I tell him, and he growls. Ava grips my arm, and I pull mine away. ¡°Please,¡± she says, and I look at her. I know Everly didn¡¯t have issues with her sister, hurt by the fact she never continued their rtionship, but she didn¡¯t me Ava. Her father. However, she had washed her hands of after what he did. ¡°You cane to see her. You remain here,¡± I tell her father, who growls before Ava looks up a t him. ¡°Please, dad,¡± he sighs. I raise an eyebrow at him to see if he would challenge me on this, but he nods to her, and I tell her the room number before she goes to duck up the stairs. ¡°Give this to my father and son,¡± I tell her, giving her the paper bag and one coffee. She nods quickly, taking it and heading up to see her sister, Sipping my coffee, John stalks off to the cafeteria and orders his own. I received a text from m y father asking if it was alright that Ava just got there or if he should make her leave. I replied that it was fine and that I would back up soon before cing my phone in my pocket. ¡°I¡¯m not here looking for trouble, Valen,¡± John says when Ie up behind him. ¡°Good because if you are, you just found it,¡± I tell him. He res at the barista, who rushes around quickly, making his coffee. ¡°Why are you here?¡± I ask him. ¡°She is my daughter,¡± ¡°Bullshit, you didn¡¯t care that she was your daughter when she fell pregnant with my son,¡± I tell him, pulling a chair out at a nearby table. The barista hands him his coffee, and he pulls out the other. The entire cafeteria falls silent, and I look around to find it empty except for the barista, who stood staring wide-eyed at us, sitting at a table together. ¡°Tell me the real reason, or leave. I will drop Ava back at your borderster, and who let you cross?¡± I ask him. ¡°Nobody, I just drove in. You dropped your border patrols, remember for the rogues,¡± he says, and I had forgotten entirely. I nod, sipping my coffee and sitting back in my chair. I could tell h e was ufortable. ¡°I won¡¯t let you ruin her again,¡± I tell him. ¡°I didn¡¯t ruin her. You did. She was a good kid; I had no issues with her growing up until you got your filthy hands on her,¡± he snarled. ¡°Yet you have no issues trying to palm your other daughter off to me, so what is it you want?¡± ¡°Nothing, I am just here to check on her,¡± ¡°I don¡¯t believe you,¡± I tell him, pinching the bridge of my nose. ¡°I need,¡± ¡°There it is. You aren¡¯t here to check on Everly at all. You want something,¡± I tell him. ¡°Your father and I had a deal; he broke it,¡± ¡°A fucking deal for what? I marry Ava. Then what?¡± ¡°We have an alliance, that¡¯s what.¡± My brows furrow at his words. ¡°I don¡¯t buy it; you¡¯re hiding something,¡± I argue. John sighs, scrubbing a hand down his face. ¡°How is she?¡± he asked, drinking from his cup. ¡°Alive, and now marked,¡± This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. ¡°So she is awake?¡± I shake my head. ¡°No, not yet,¡± I answer, leaning forward and bracing my arms on the table. I scratched my beard that was growing. I felt dirty but actually didn¡¯t mind how it looked. Though as soon as I got my hands on a razor, it was going. ¡°The other girl, Emma, Emery?¡± he asks, and I could see he was trying to make small talk. ¡°Emily?¡± I ask ¡°Yes, that one,¡± ¡°She lost a leg, and they aren¡¯t sure she will make it. Emily isn¡¯t strong enough to fight off the infection.¡± ¡°She never found her mate?¡± John asks. ¡°She is rogue. What do you think?¡± ¡°I know she is rogue, goddamn it, I¡¯m just saying she might stand a chance if she had one,¡± John snapped at me. ¡°As far as I know, she hasn¡¯t, and since when do you care about rogues?¡± I ask. ¡°I don¡¯t,¡± he says, folding his arms across his chest and staring at me. His eyes run over me before they flick away. ¡°You look like shit,¡± he says. ¡°And you look old, time to retire, don¡¯t you think?¡± I retort, and John scoffs. ¡°This is thest time I am asking; you don¡¯t answer, you can leave. Why are you really here, John?¡± he scowled before looking at me. ¡°It scared me seeing her like that; I thought they killed her,¡± John says. ¡°And where is your wife, ire?¡± I ask him, and he looks at the table ¡°Staying with her friend, we had an argument,¡± he says. ¡°Over Everly?¡± he nods. ¡°So what you thought,ing here would patch things up with your mate?¡± ¡°No, yes, but no. I just wanted to make sure Everly is alright,¡± ! ¡°Because now you realize she isn¡¯t a rogue whore?¡± I ask him. ¡°How the fuck was I supposed to know?¡± he snarled at me, gripping the edge of the table. ¡°That is one thing I don¡¯t get,¡± I tell him, watching the man that is supposed to be my father-i nw. ¡°What?¡± he asks. ¡°Since finding her and my son, what I don¡¯t get as a father is how you could look at your own flesh and blood, the child you raised, and turn your back on her like she meant nothing. Turf her out and abandon her; I would kill for my kid. There is no way I would abandon him,¡± I snap at him. ¡°You don¡¯t know what you are talking about; I was protecting her!¡± he snarls. ¡°Protecting her? Are you fucking serious? She was living in her car with a newborn fucking baby, choosing between food for herself and fucking diapers. Don¡¯t give me that crap, John!¡± | tell him before standing up. ¡°You are a shitty excuse for a father and a man,¡± I spit at him before turning to leave. ¡°Because you are such a great one yourself. You didn¡¯t even know Vrian existed for how long Valen, and what of your father, perfect fucking example there after what he did to your mother,¡± John sneers, and I stop turning back to face him. ¡°The mother that raised your daughter when you refused to. My father knows he fucked up. At least he admits it and is trying to make up for it, you¡­ you¡­ You just look elsewhere to me, and me. I wish every god damn day I was there, even if she wasn¡¯t my mate. I would have taken her as one had I known her or known she had my son.¡± John curses, shaking his head. ¡°You see her as your biggest shame, John, when you should have seen her as your daughter and for who she is?¡±. ¡°Because you are suddenly an expert on my daughter. She wasn¡¯t some sweet, innocent little girl. She got herself knocked up,¡± he said. ¡°You¡¯re right; she got herself knocked up with my help. It takes two people to create a baby, John, so why are the women only punished for it? It is sickening, but as much as I hate you for what you did, I suppose I should thank you also,¡± I tell him, and he scoffs. ¡°For what?¡± ¡°Because she turned out great in spite of you, you showed her what not to do, and I can¡¯t wait for her to bring this city to god damn knees,¡± I growl. ¡°Ha, ha. You fool, you may own half this city Valen, but Everly wouldn¡¯t know the first thing about running a pack, a business, yes, but a pack. She was a fucking rogue. Ava would have.¡± John tries to argue. ¡°Ava is not my mate, and I would never choose her over Everly. And a pack. You bloody idiot. Her pack outnumbers all of ours.¡± ¡°Great, now I have heard it all.¡± Johnughs. ¡°Your numbers are only 300 or 400 hundred bigger than mine. You may have more people, but I have alliances you don¡¯t have, Valen. Think with your fucking head,¡± John snaps, standing up. ¡°Try 1000 more than yours, John. You want to go to war over me refusing to marry Ava, so be i t, but you won¡¯t win, and I will dly watch her destroy you, take everything from you.¡± ¡°Pft, you idiot, you do not know what you have done. War, you have seen nothing of the war that will be headed our way. You need my pack,¡± John tells him. ¡°What fucking war? I don¡¯t need an alliance with you because I have Everly¡¯s; They will fight alongside mine. You are forgetting something John. Everly isn¡¯t just an Alpha. She was also rogue. I havee to realize that they have more guts than any pack I have known, including my own. They band together, forced to survive and rely on each other,¡± I tell him, stepping closer. ¡°The rogue poption outnumbers any pack when banded together, and guess who just opened their borders up? Guess who has her army, and she didn¡¯t even realize it..¡± ¡°Everly does,¡± Johnughs. ¡°Their rogues Valen, pull your head out of your ass. She can¡¯t control them.¡± ¡°She doesn¡¯t need to control them, John. They are family. Everly has done more for the rogues than any Alpha has in this city, so when pushes to shove, who do you think they will stand behind an Alpha?¡± Iughed. ¡°No, they will fight for the woman that gave them a fighting chance? Do you think she isn¡¯t Alpha material? She has her ownnd. That hotel is solely owned by her. Everly didn¡¯t just build a business; she built a pack. She has more members than any of us. Nowst I checked pack counts, my pack is the largest at 847, the rogue poption is well over a thousand,¡± ¡°Means nothing, Valen, and you know it. Unless she can get thosews changed, nothing in this city will change. Your merry band of rogue-whores wants to stand behind you more fool them, it¡¯s a quick way to be forsaken,¡± he says, and I stop. Heughed as I turned back to face him. ¡°You forget, any rogue that steps out of line receives instant banishment. They are already the dregs of society. Her being your luna won¡¯t change that. You own half the city, but you don¡¯t own the council. It will never pass in the courts. Everly would be attempting the impossible. This city doesn¡¯t want things to change; she won¡¯t seed. All she will do is start a war she can¡¯t win.¡± John ims. ¡°She will win, John. I know Everly, she won¡¯t give up until she does,¡± I tell him when Avaes back down. I turn to look over my shoulder. She had tears in her eyes. ¡°Everly, is okay, she..¡± Ava shakes her head before ring at her father. ¡°This is your fault,¡± she snaps at him. John growls at her words. ¡°Get in the car. You don¡¯t speak to me like that,¡± John snaps at her, and she shakes her head at him before stalking off, leaving me with John. ¡°Tell Everly to ring her mother when she wakes up,¡± John says, and I nod. He turns to walk away, then pauses. ¡°And tell her I stopped by, I meant what I said, Valen. War ising. Make sure you aren¡¯t on the wrong side of it,¡± he says before walking off. I stared after him, wondering what he was talking about. Chapter 77 Chapter 77 Chapter 77: Going back to the room I find Vrian was tucked in beside his mother . The nket pulled high under his chin . My father was still seated beside the bed and h e held a finger to his lips , pointing to the bed and I nodded .. ¡± What was that about ? ¡± my father asked as I dropped into the chair beside him . ¡± John and I have no idea . Something is going on with him , though . He kept talking about some impending war , ¡± I tell him , and his brows furrow . ¡± I will ask around , see if I can find anything out , ¡± , ¡± I nod , and he sighs . ¡± Do you want me to take Vrian ? ¡± I nce at the bed where Vriany and shake my head . ¡± No , I will take him home with meter ; you head home , ¡± I tell him , despite not wanting to leave Everly . Our son needed m e , and I knew she would like one of us with him . ¡± Valen , I .. ¡± ¡± Not now ! ¡± I growl . I didn¡¯t want to talk about him betraying my mother and not here in front of my son , even if he was asleep . He closes his mouth and nods , getting up . ¡± Ring if you need anything or want me to take him , but it will probably be good if he stays with you , he hasn¡¯t been sleeping well . ¡± My father before he leaves , and I sit back in my chair . After an hour or so , my eyes grew heavy , and I kept nodding off . Yawning , I get to m y feet to find Vrian still asleep with his mother only now . Everly was stirring , her nose crinkling , and I felt her consciousness slowlying back as she sniffed our son . I was going to take him home , but as I watched her , maybe he was what she needed to wake up , so instead , I moved him closer to her before climbing i n beside her and pulling Vrian on my chest . I ced his tiny hand on the side of her face . ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Her breathing evened out again . I kissed his little head , and he rubbed his face against my chest when I heard her inhale deeply , making me look over at her to see her hand move . She rubbed her eyes , her hand not doing what she wanted as it became tangled in the cords attached to her . Rolling on my side , Vrian slides between us , and I reach over and untangle her hand , making her eyes snap open . She looked really out of it , but her eyes cleared of their dreary state after a few seconds , and she lurched upright , her eyes going wide as she looked around the room . Gripping her shoulders , I push her back down . ¡± Emily ? ¡± she gasps . ¡± Alive ! She is down the hall ; stay still . You just ripped out your cann , ¡± I whisper , and she blinks , her heart rate slowing . She exhales , and I tug the cords away , the machine going berserk , and I lean over , hitting the button for the nurse before shutting the device to the drip off , knowing the nurse would fix it . Grabbing Everly¡¯s hand , I ran my tongue over where she ripped the needles and tap off , watching it heal beforeying back down . ¡± Try not to move . You have cords everywhere and a catheter , which I am sure you don¡¯t want to be ripped out , ¡± I tell her . She nods , watching our son before brushing his hair with her fingers . Vrian stirs under her touch , and she leans forward , sniffing his little head . My heart leaped seeing her awake , and her eyes went to me behind him . ¡± You¡¯re forgiven , ¡± she smiles softly , and my brows furrow . At first , I thought she was talking about not getting to her fast enough until she touched her neck , and I let out a breath of relief . ¡± You forgive me ? ¡± ¡± There was nothing to forgive . I should have let you when I marked you , but I heard you say it ; I thought I dreamed it , ¡± she said , rubbing her eyes and yawning . ¡± ¡± How long has it been ? ¡± she asks , her foggy mind bing clearer and clearer b y the second . ¡± A few days , ¡± ¡± Did you find the facility ? ¡± Everly asked . I tilted my head to look at her better . That was the first time I heard about a facility . ¡± What facility ? ¡° ¡± The one where Emily¡¯s son is , where she escaped from . She didn¡¯t tell you ? ¡± ¡± Emily is in aa , love ; we haven¡¯t spoken with her ; I will notify the patrols and send some scouts out . Did she say anything else ? ¡± I asked when Vrian stirred and yawned . She shook her head . Everly smiled , watching him , burying her face in his neck and peppering his face with kisses . He pushes her face away and giggles before recognition hit him . ¡± Mum ? ¡± he whispers and she smiles . He pounces on her , making her grunt . ¡± Careful , she is still sore , ¡± I tell him , gripping his waist , but Everly shakes her head , ignoring her difort as she hugs him tight . ¡± You¡¯re awake , ¡± Vrian murmurs , breathing in his mother¡¯s scent , and she nods . Vrian pulls his head from her neck and looks down at her . ¡± You need to brush your hair , ¡± he says , looking at her hair which was a mess on her head . ¡± Do I now ? ¡± she asks and he nods . ¡± Can I wake up properly first ? ¡± sheughed , and he nods . He looks at her neck and smiles . ¡± Daddy marked you , now you belong to him , ¡± Vrian beams , and I clear my throat , and Vrian looks at me while Everly shakes her head with augh . Pretty sure it¡¯s the other way around , ¡± I tell him . H His brows pinch together . ¡± But you¡¯re the Alpha ? ¡± he says . ¡± Yes , when your mother lets me be , ¡± I chuckle . ¡± So mum owns you ? ¡± ¡± We belong to each other . No one owns anybody , ¡± Everly says with a shake of her head . ¡± But we can live with dad now ? ¡± Vrian asks , and I raise an eyebrow at her to hear her answer . ¡± What¡¯s it going to be , Luna ? ¡± I mind linked , and her eyes widen when my voice floats through her head , and I could feel how giddy she was being part of a pack link again . ¡± Yes , Uncle Marcus is living with Aunty Zoe now , so it will be a little squishy , don¡¯t you think ? ¡± Everly asks him , and Vrian beams with excitement and nods his head just as the nurse opens the door . Chapter 78 Chapter 78 Alpha¡¯s Regret-My Luna Has A Son Chapter 78 ¨C I noticed that the nurse was an older woman and was usually on the afternoon and night shifts . She pops her head in and sees Everly awake before looking at me . ¡± I will get the doctor , ¡± she says , smiling kindly before stepping back out when I nod to her . It took a few hours while Everly was checked over , but eventually , she was given the all ¨C clear to head home . I had Marcus bring her some clothes to get changed into . The doctor wanted her to stay an extra night for observations , but she wouldn¡¯t have it wanting to go home and refused to take no as an answer . By the time we got home , it was a little after 7 o¡¯clock at night . We got Vrian McDonalds on the way home , but he fell asleep in the car , and I had to pry a chicken nugget from his fingers . Both Everly and I were shocked he even ate in the car , which proved how tired he was . This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. Carrying him upstairs and inside , I tuck him in bed , stripping him down to his underwear and shirt as I tucked him in his bed before setting the night lights timer and closing the door . Going back out to the living room , Everly wasn¡¯t there when I heard the shower turn on , making me stop and head back to our room to find her in the ensuite . I came up behind her , cing my hands on her hips as she tested the water with her hand . ¡± Can I join you ? ¡± I asked her , kissing her naked shoulder . She looks at me over her shoulder , and I cup her cheek before pressing my lips to hers . She answers my kiss instantly , her lips parting , and my tongue invades her mouth , dominating it as I kissed her hungrily . Everly moans softly before turning in my arms and kissing me fiercely , her hands undressing me as she tugged my wrinkled suit jacket off I had wanted to burn all day . Her fingers run over my chest , undoing m y shirt buttons , and I help her fumbling fingers and her lips go to my neck , licking and nipping my skin , making me groan . Her hands move to my bare chest once I rid my shirt and up to my shoulders and neck to the beard I despise because it is itchy . ¡± Hm , ¡± she hums , her lips going to mine . ¡± I like this rougher look , ¡± she chuckles against my lips . ¡± It¡¯s not staying , ¡± I growl against hers while undoing my belt buckle . ¡± We¡¯ll see , ¡± she chuckles , and I growl , biting her bottom lip between my teeth , making her moan and press against me . My pants fall , and I grip her waist , stepping out of them before her ws slice through my boxer shorts . I raise an eyebrow at her when I feel the fabric drop at my feet before she wraps her hand around me . Her small fingers wrapped around my cock as she stroked it , and I kissed her harder , pushing her into the shower . My lips go to her neck , and she sighs , tilting her head , giving me better ess before I lean down and grip her thighs , lifting her and pressing her against the tiled wall . Everly shrieks at the tiles ¡® harsh coldness , making me chuckle as she wraps her legs around my waist . Her nails dug into my shoulders , where she gripped them . I nip a ther mark , and she moans , wiggling her hips against me . My erection was painfully hard , pressed against her warm , wet core . I wanted to bury myself in her , and she whined , gripping my hair . ¡± Ah , what are you waiting for ? ¡± she growled , and I could feel her arousal , fiery hot , burning through the bond . ¡± Permission , ¡± I chuckle . ¡± Valen ! ¡± she growls , rolling her hips against me . I kissed her slowly , and I could feel her building annoyance as she rocked her hips against me . ¡± Valen ! Either fuck me , or I will pin you down and take what I want , ¡± she snarls , pulling her lips from mine and biting into my shoulder . ¡± Hm , that I would like to see , ¡± I tell her , and she growls , her teeth breaking my skin as she bit my mark , making my cock twitch against her , and I groaned , gripping her ass before adjusting myself . I press the tip against her before mming into her in one motion , burying my cock i n her tight confines until our hips are flush . She sighs , her teeth letting me go , and her fingers escape into my hair , gripping it and tugging my mouth back to hers . I pull out , mming back into her ; her slick walls grip my cock as her muscles spasmed around it , coating me in her arousal . I groan at the texture and the ridges of her smooth channel , gliding over my cock and squeezing it with each thrust . Her hips move to meet my thrusts as I m into her repeatedly , pinning her against the wall ; I let go of one of her legs and let it slide down my side , her toes barely touching the ground . At the same time , I lifted her other leg higher , mming my cock into her and making her cry out as she gripped my shoulders . The back of my legs burned . I wanted to bend over and fuck her , but that was not happening in the shower . So , I pulled out o f her , earning a growl . Shutting the water off , I shove her out of the shower toward the bedroom . ¡± Valen ! We need to dry ourselves , ¡± she squeals when I shove her on the bed . I grab her thighs , dragging her to the edge . My hands grip her hips , pulling her ass into the air . Her protests about ruining the bed cut off when I squeezed her ass , pulling her cheeks apart before adjusting my cock at her entrance . I thrust into her , and she moans loudly ; m y hands grip her ass as I watch my cock slide in and out of her wet pussy . She pushes back against me . The bed is ruined as I pounded her pussy , her ass jiggling as it hits my pelvis with each thrust . My hand slides up her back , forcing her further into the mattress as my fingers slide into her hair . I grip a handful , tugging her head back , and arch her back while I continuously m into her . Her moans and the sound of pping flesh resonated around the room . I felt the moment she came , her walls gripping my cock , the sensation of her pulsating walls squeezing and pushing against my dick , making me shiver as she moans loudly and sends me over the edge . I still inside her , finding my release with onest thrust before I fill her with my hot cum . My grip loosens on her hair ; she falls against the mattress when I pull out o f her . I p her ass when I gasp , realizing my mistake . I stare at her lying face down on the bed . She groans and rolls slowly onto her back . ¡± I think you broke my back , ¡± she groans , but thenughs softly . I bit my lip , noticing how her pussy glistened , red from the pounding she received , and I wondered how angry she would be when she realized . I figured I would get it over with , not wanting to hide it from her . ¡± Ah , Everly ? ¡± She cracks an eyelid open , a silly smile on her lips , and I looked between her legs , the evidence of my release making her thighs slick . ¡± I wasn¡¯t wearing anything , ¡± I tell her , biting my lip , and she chuckles . ¡± I figured that , ¡± ¡± she murmurs and yawns , and I expected her murderous rage , so I was surprised when she didn¡¯t seem that fazed . ¡± You could get pregnant ? ¡± I offer , wondering if she heard me . ¡± I know how babies are made . I had one , but doubtful with all the drugs in my system at the moment , ¡± she giggled before sitting up with a groan . I would be lying if I said I didn¡¯t want to see her carrying my baby . One I missed out on with Vrian , so I kind of hoped she got pregnant but also knew the chances would be pretty slim like she said . ¡± Ah , my back . ¡± She whines as she stumbles back to the bathroom to finish her shower , making me chuckle . Chapter 79 Chapter 79 Alpha¡¯s Regret-My Luna Has A Son chapter 79 Everly POV The next morning I woke to a knee in the kidney , causing me to grunt as Vrian climbed into the bed ; he weasels his way i n between us before ripping Valen¡¯s pillow out from under his head as he stole it . Valen lurches upright , and I chuckle as Vrian wiggles closer to me , and I close my eyes . ¡± Ah , good . You¡¯re up . Can I have pancakes , please ? ¡± Valerian whines at his father , who was awoken by the pillow thief . ¡± I am thanks to you ! ¡± Valen says , rubbing his eyes . I open my eyes to see Valen groan and scrub a hand down his face , trying to wake up . ¡± Please , dad , please dad , ¡± Vrian repeats , shaking his father¡¯s shoulder . ¡± What time is it ? ¡± Valen yawns . ¡± Breakfast time ! ¡± ¡± Isn¡¯t your mother up ? ¡± Valen yawns , and I quickly close my eyes , pretending to be asleep . I did not want to get out of bed . Vrian rolls beside me , his fingers prying my eyes open , and I try not to smile as I fake sleep but notice his lips covered chocte . ¡± Leave her , let her sleep , ¡± Valen says , hauling his ass out of bed while tapping Vrian¡¯s leg . Vrian stands on the bed before jumping off it and clinging to his father¡¯s back like a spider monkey , causing him to groan . ¡± Geez , what¡¯s got into you ? ¡± Valen whines . ¡± I want pancakes , but we need more chocte chips . ¡± There is a packet in the fridge . ¡± I chuckle , knowing the evidence is on Vrian¡¯s face . Valen turns , hearing me , and I quickly close my eyes again . I snuggled back under the nket , trying t o dive back into sleep . I was awoken from snuggling beneath the nkets when Valen¡¯s voice whispered in my ear . ¡± Faker , I know you¡¯re awake ; you just didn¡¯t want to get up , ¡± he says , jamming his fingers in my ribs , making me jump . ¡± Make sure you take an umbre too . I heard on the radio a storm is headed our way , ¡± Valen tells me and I groan . ¡± I am not going , ¡± I tell him , adding some fake coughs for dramatics . He tickles me , gripping the tops of my thighs through the nket . ¡± Stop , stop . Okay , I am awake , I will go to work ! ¡± Iughed when I heard feet rushing up the hall . Vrian called out for his father . I giggle , and Valen rips the nket up , climbing under and hiding behind me . C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. ¡± What are you doing ? ¡± I ask . ¡± Hiding from the hypo demon spawn , he ate an entire bag of chocte chips , and h e made me iron his shirt twice . He is like OCD on steroids . ¡± Valen growls , trying to lie as t as possible behind me and failing . Vrian wanders into the room and peered around . ¡± Have you seen dad ? ¡± I point to the mound under the nket beside me . I watch as he walks around the edge of the bed to my side before ripping the nket back and looking at his father . ¡± My shoces don¡¯t match ? ¡± Vrian says , looking down at his shoes . Valen peering over the edge of the bed . ¡± They look fine to me , ¡± Valen says , but Vrian looks at him expectantly , and I chuckle . ¡± Your mother will fix them , ¡± ¡± But mum ties them funny , can you fix them ? ¡± he says , pulling on his father¡¯s arm , and Valen groans but climbs back out of bed . He bends down , fixing his shoces . There better ? ¡± ¡± No. that string is long now , ¡± Valen¡¯s frustration came through the bond after the third attempt to fix his shoes before Vrian was finally happy enough about them . I nce at the rm clock on the bedside table , knowing he would have to run him to school soon . Valenys back down and sighs . ¡± Ah , you gotta run him to school , ¡± I tell him . ¡± We still have half an hour ; it¡¯s like a five minute drive at most , and don¡¯t you have work ? ¡± he asks . ¡± I¡¯m faking sick , ¡± ¡± Well , you better fake it better than yourme fake sleeping ; you know it doesn¡¯t look good when the boss fakes sick , right , ¡± he mocks . ¡± Don¡¯t you have work to do ? ¡± I ask him . ¡± Nope , Dad is handling it , ¡± ¡± You know it doesn¡¯t look good when the boss sends daddy in to do his work for him , right ? ¡± I asked , laughing to myself . ¡± I said I didn¡¯t have work to do ; I never said I would not work , ¡± Valen retorts before getting up and walking into the closet . I hear Valen moving around in the closet before he walks out dressed in his suit and throws my uniform on the bed . ¡± Up , if I am working , so are you , ¡± ¡± I nearly died . Cut me some ck , ¡® ¡± Nearly died , now up . ¡± I roll my eyes but haul myself out of bed before hopping in the shower . Halfway through washing my hair , Valenes in telling me he was running Vrian to school and he would see me tonight . I nod when he opens up the shower screen , the cold draft making me shiver as I try to wash the shampoo from my eyes . He grips my wrist , yanking me t o him and pecking my lips . ¡± Dad ! We are going to bete ! ¡± Vrian calls out . Valenughs , letting me go while I blink through the soap before stepping back under the shower spray . ¡± Hold your horses , I aming , and don¡¯t forget your raincoat , it is supposed t o rain today , ¡± I hear him yell back as he walks out of the bathroom . I chuckle to myself and finish my shower before hopping out and drying myself . I had things I needed to do today or at least look into , so my first mission was stopping by the council chambers to see if I could petition to be heard in court , and then I needed to check up on Emily at the hospital . The day flew by quickly . It was overcast , and I thought the rain wasing . What I wasn¡¯t expecting was stepping out of the City council to a storm brewing anding over fast . We hardly got storms here , but when we did , they were always terrible . Thick dark clouds rolled across the sky , the thunder rumbled loudly , and streaks o f lightning lit up the heavy clouds above . Walking back to the car , the wind howled , whipping my hair across my face . Reaching my truck , it took nearly all my strength to close the door ; the wind pushing against it . This storm was going to be a doozy , and I had to get back to the hotel ; I needed to double ¨C check the backup generators just i n case and prepare to lock it down . Trees bent over with the wind as I drove toward work . The drive took longer when rain and hail belted down halfway home , the road barely visible , and the windscreen wipers struggled to clear the windscreen with the downpour . Pulling into the staff car park , a pool umbre was flying across the car park . Shit ! ¡± I mutter to myself while ripping the keys out of the ignition . I force my door shut before chasing after the damn thing , only to slip on the slick ground . (Dear Readers Latest Chapters Macey , I see ,es running out after the umbre , and I got back to my feet soaking wet , my hair dripping . ¡± Go secure the pool area ; I will get this ! ¡± Ma?ey called over her shoulder . Her blouse had turned see ¨C through from the rain , her normally curly hair straight and dripping . I chuckled as she cursed the umbre , chasing it down while I raced to the pool air , tossing the lightweight stuff i n the garden shed behind the fence where we kept the pool supplies . Rushing back out of the pool area , I lock the fence . You never when someone would be stupid enough to try to go for a swim during a storm , and I didn¡¯t feel like scooping out a cooked werewolf in the morning . Locking the chain and padlock , I raced toward the restaurant . Macey came up behind me . ¡± Did you catch it ? ¡± I asked . ¡± Nope , gave up after it tried to whisk me away like Mary Poppins , ¡± she says , wringing her out under the awning . I swing the door open and step inside , the warm weing . Macey shivers behind me . ¡± Geez , it came out of nowhere , , ¡± she says , shaking her head . One cleaneres over to us , handing us some towels , and I try to dry myself as best I can . Walking out the back to the kitchen , I looked for Zoe , but she wasn¡¯t anywhere to be found . Turning to the head chef , she was chopping potatoes . ¡± Amy , have you seen Zoe ? ¡± I ask her . She looks up from her station , her red hair in a hai and her chef hat sagging to one side . ¡± She said she wasn¡¯t feeling well and went toy down before the afternoon rush . ¡± I look at Macey behind me , and she shrugs ; she was in here before I went out there . ¡± I will go check on her . You alright to check the generators , or do you want me t o on my way back ? ¡± I ask her . ¡± I¡¯ll do the generators ; you can check the functions room door is locked , ¡± sheughs , and I re at her . That was a 30 meter dash with no shelter . Sheughs , sauntering out , and I shake my head , heading for the restaurant¡¯s rear exit . Trying to force myself to brave the storm, I suck in a breath and run like mad for the functions room , cutting through the gardens and making a beeline for the building at the end of the property . All the doors were wide and I open , quickly raced around and shut them before flicking the lights off . The wind had carried leaves and debris inside the ce , and it would need to be cleaned tomorrow . After checking everything was secure , I raced back to the main building before detouring for my and Zoe¡¯s apartment . I climbed the stairs two at a time and burst through the door . Well , that¡¯s my cardio for the day , I thought . My shoes squelched and screeched on the floors . I could hear a groaning sounding from somewhere up the hall , and I quickly kicked my shoes off , searching for Zoe and the strange noise . Stepping into the hallway , I turned toward her room , but her door was open and the room empty . Sniffing the air , I picked up her scent , but gosh , it was strong . Approaching the bathroom door , I knock softly , hearing a whimper on the other side . ¡± Zoe ? ¡± I murmur , listening . She didn¡¯t answer , but she sounded like she was in pain . ¡± Zoe , I am coming in , ¡± I tell her , gripping the doorknob . I twist and push the door open to find Zoeying on the cold tiles , a towel wrapped around her like she just climbed out of the shower . Stepping in , I rush to her side and kneel next to her . ¡± Zoe ? ¡± I ask , gripping her arms and rolling her on her back . Her skin was hot t o touch , her face flushed and cheeks rosy red like she had a fever , and her scent was sickly sweet . Everly , I don¡¯t feel too good . Get Marcus , ¡± she murmured , her eyes fluttering before she jolted upright and scrambled for the toilet . Zoe threw up before hugging the toilet bowl . ¡° Ah , I feel like shit ; I think I may have . that stomach bug , ¡± Zoe whines . I touch her head ; her skin is sweltering hot . ¡± No , I don¡¯t think you have a bug , Zoe . I think you¡¯re in heat ! ¡± I tell her . Pulling m y phone from my pocket , I dial Marcus¡¯s number when the lights flickered before the power suddenly goes out . Great , Just great ! Chapter 80 Chapter 80 Chapter 80 Valen POV It was bucketing down as Marcus pulled up out the front so I could pick Vrian up from school. I stepped out of the car into a puddle; the gutters overflowing and spilling onto the footpath. The drains were blocked. The water flowed down the gutter, rushing like a river and filling my shoe with water. I growl, shaking my foot to get the water out of my shoe before racing for the school¡¯s front door. Marcus waited behind in the car because he was on the phone still, the audio going through the car¡¯s Bluetooth. M y toes squelched in my shoes as I walked on the slippery floors to the primary office. On the way here, I called ahead. So when I stepped into the small office, the secretary called up to his ss the moment she saw me walk in to let the teacher know I was here to collect him. ¡°He will be right down, Alpha,¡± the secretary tells me, and I nod to her before walking around the room and looking at the school awards hanging on the brown brick walls. I shrugged my coat off, which was drenched from the downpour, and draped it over one arm as I looked around. ¡°Scouts found nothing,¡± Marcus says, walking into the small school office. He shakes his head, spraying water everywhere, and I growl when it gets some on me, wiping my face with the back of my hand, and heughs, running his fingers through his wet hair. He had been on the phone with the scouts to check if they had found anything about Emily¡¯s missing son. ¡°You tell them to head back? This storm looks like it will be a big one,¡± I ask him, and he nods before dialing a number into his phone. I watch as he holds the phone to his ear, his face lined with worry. ¡°Zoe is not answering her phone. I have tried to call five times today,¡± he whines when I look at him questionably. Marcus hangs up when she doesn¡¯t answer and sends her a message instead. He purses his lips in frustration, and I raise an eyebrow at him as he res at his phone screen. ¡°She is probably working,¡± I tell him, and he sighs. ¡°I know, but she feels funny through the bond; I feel so hot!¡± he says, tugging at the cor of his shirt. ¡°They have the heaters up way too high here,¡± he growls. He had beenining all day about the heat and spent most of the day in just his button-up shirt, while I spent most of the damn day shivering and only just took my zer off because it was drenched. ¡°Just go if you want. You don¡¯t have toe with me,¡± I tell him just as his phone starts ringing. ¡°Hm, Everly,¡± he says, showing me the screen. I motion for him to not tell her we are together, pressing a finger to my lips. ¡°I know, I know,¡± he says, walking off to take the call out in the hall. A few momentster, Vrian appeared in the office with his teacher, his bag slung over his shoulder, and I reached down and took it from him, chucking the strap over one shoulder as I kneeled before him. ¡°Here you go, Alpha, you just need to sign here,¡± she said, handing me a printed slip and a pen with his student information and photo. I reach up and lean on the desk and quickly sign it before grabbing Vrian and pulling his raincoat from his bag. I ce it on him and button it up before picking him up and standing pack up to leave. ¡°I forgot my umbre, so we need to make a run for it,¡± Iugh, and he pouts, not happy about getting wet. Just as I was about to head for the door leading out to the hall, Marcus came rushing in, the door narrowly missing us as he burst through it. He looked frantic and chucked me his keys. ¡°I gotta go. Zoe is in heat,¡± he says, and I only just catch his keys before they fall on the floor. ¡°Ah, I can drive you home,¡± I call out to him, but he is already shifting into his wolf, his clothes shredding u p the hall before he bursts through the doors leading out, hitting them in his wolf form so hard they smack against the walls. ¡°He will get wet,¡± Vrian says, watching after him. ¡°It will be quicker, though. He won¡¯t be restricted to the roads. He will be fine,¡± I tell him, walking down the corridor. Vrian sighs, and I hoist him higher before draping my jacket over his head and pushing the door open. We make a run for the car out front, and I be drenched even worse, my white shirt turning see-through. Valen squeals and whines that he got drenched too, despite having the jacket covering him. I ce him in his booster seat before jumping into the driver¡¯s seat. Vrian¡¯s teeth were chattering as we got in the car, so I turned the heater on full st to warm and to try to dry my shirt a little bit. Pulling away from the curb, we head further into the city, heading for our destination, when my phone starts ringing through Bluetooth. ¡°Who is love muffin?¡± Vrian asks, looking at the screen, and I snicker. Everly would probably demand I delete that name from my contacts. ¡°Your mother,¡± I chuckle, and he scrunches up his face. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to answer it?¡± Vrian asks, and I shake my head. ¡°Nope, I don¡¯t want your mother to know I kidnapped you from school early,¡± This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. ¡°She will keep ringing. And she probably already knows. My watch has a child GPS tracker in it,¡± Vrian says, just as the phone cuts out. Only for it to ring again. ¡°It has a what?¡± I asked him while looking in the rearview mirror at him. He holds up his wrist to show me his ck watch. ¡°Yep, it is linked to her phone. She got it after I went looking for you when I ran away, said it was so she could keep an eye on me.¡± he says with a shrug. ¡°Where are we going anyway?¡± Vrian asks. ¡°To the jewelry store,¡± I tell him, and his tiny brows pinch together. ¡°Is that why you pulled me from school to go shopping? I wanted to do the show and tell; I brought my dinosaur to school today.¡± Vrian pouts. ¡°Well, I need you to help me, since your mother doesn¡¯t wear jewelry. I don¡¯t know her tastes, so I want you to help pick it out,¡± I tell him. ¡°Mum doesn¡¯t wear jewelry. Maybe you should get her flowers. Mum like flowers, but make sure it¡¯s in a pot. She said cut flowers die and are a waste,¡± You want me to ask your mother to marry me with a flower?¡± I ask him, ncing in the mirror, and he nods before I see his head whip up, a big grin on his face. Chapter 81 Chapter 81 ¡°You¡¯re going to marry mum?¡± Vrian squealed, hurting my ears, his little eyes lighting up as he danced and wiggled in his seat. ¡°Well, I hope so, that is why we are going t o the jewelers. We need to find her a ring, ¡°Valen ps his hands excitedly. ¡°Oh, I know. What about grandma¡¯s rings? Grandma had heaps,¡± Vrian says. ¡°Her mother?¡± I ask him, a little confused. But he shakes his head. 28 ¡°No, Grandma Vrie, your mum. They are in the storage shed, mum has where she keeps all grandma¡¯s stuff,¡± he says. ¡°I don¡¯t remember seeing a jewelry box in there,¡± I tell him. ¡°No, mum packed it in a box after I dropped it, and had all my grandma¡¯s ¡°Yep, they didn¡¯t take anything, just wrote rogue whore on the brick walls, Aunty Macey scared them off,¡± ¡°Language! And you remember this?¡± I ask him. ¡°Ah, it was onlyst year, when mum got her 5 star rating for the hotel, just before Christmas. Mum thought it was another Hotel owner. Aunty Macey smacked one i n the head with her bat when they tried to get in the office area,¡± Vrianughs, making a swinging motion with his hands before he shrugs. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. ¡°And she didn¡¯t call the police?¡± I ask him. oc ¡°She did, theyughed at her and said it was her problem, so mum moved the jewelry from the safe, said it would be the first ce they looked for valuables,¡± oc ¡°And how do you know where she hid it?¡± I ask and Vrian drops his head. coa ¡°I identally knocked a box over and broke the jewelry box. Mum spent hours crying, trying to put it back together with glue. She wouldn¡¯t stop crying, she said it was Grandma favorite possession,¡± Vrian tells me, making my brows furrow DO ¡°You made her cry?¡± I ask him. ¡°Yes, but I don¡¯t think it was the jewelry box. I think it was because I lost a stone out of one of the rings when it smashed. I t was Grandma¡¯s mother¡¯s wedding ring. She said it was a priceless family heirloom, and the jewelry box was given t o grandma, so it must be the ring, because the box looked ugly,¡± he says with a shrug while looking down at his hands in hisp. 3 OS ¡°Do you think we can sneak in the back way?¡± I ask him. ¡°Backway of where?¡± DC poca ¡°The storage shed,¡± I tell him. ¡°Like a secret agent?¡± he asks, and I chuckle when my phone starts ringing again. BE ¡°You should answer it. She is probably freaking out.¡± Vrian states, and I sigh and quickly answer it. Everly¡¯s voicees through the speaker. ¡°Ah, where are you taking our son?¡± she asks. Vrian snickers. ¡°Father-son outing. Where are you?¡± ¡°I just got home. Zoe went into heat, so I had to ring Marcus. Luckily, Macey is going to take Casey for the night because I feel exhausted today. Bloody wet weather always makes me tired!¡± ¡°Well, we should be home before dinner,¡± I tell her before turning the car around at the roundabout and heading for the storage locker. oc pooo G 3 ¡°Where are you taking him? It¡¯s pouring down, Valen. Not suitable weather to be out and about. Over the radio, I heard it¡¯s going to get worse overnight too,¡± Everly screeches through the phone. ¡°Father-son outing,¡± I tell her, and she growls. I nce at Vrian in the mirror before pressing a finger to my lips. He giggles and nods. ¡°Fine, I will start dinner, I guess. Oh, can you grab more milk and coffee on your way home? Oh, and Oreo ice cream?¡± ¡°Oreo ice cream?¡± ¡°Yeah, I feel like ice cream,¡± ¡°But it¡¯s raining?¡± I ask her. ¡°Just get the ice cream, Valen!¡± she says. ¡°Fine, I will grocery shop too, then. I love you,¡± I tell her. ¡°I love you too. Don¡¯t forget my ice cream, ¡°Everly says, hanging up. og The rain had eased off a little by the time we reached the hotel, but the car park was flooded, and the wind was horrendous. I drove around the back of the Hotel, pulling up behind the functions room where the storage locker was before grabbing the spare key from my glove box. The trees were bending over from the wind, the sound of the wind whistled past the car, and the storage locker door rattled loudly. Yeah, I couldn¡¯t take Vrian out in that! I sigh, not wanting t o get out in this weather either. ¡°Yellow Box?¡± I ask while turning to look at Vrian sitting in the back. ¡°Yes, unless mum moved it, maybe ring and ask her. It is in the brown cupboard. I t has boxes stacked in front of it.¡± I nod, turning the car off. ¡°No, this is a surprise. You can¡¯t tell your mother.¡± I remind him, and he nods. I hold my pinkie out to him. ¡°Pinkie, promise?¡± ¡°I can keep a secret,¡± Vrian whines, but wraps his little pinkie around mine. ¡°And it isn¡¯t a secret. It¡¯s a surprise. And you don¡¯t keep secrets from us,¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that the same thing?¡± Vrian asks. ¡°No, because I will be telling her, well, I will be asking her, so it is a surprise.¡± a ¡°Sounds like a secret to me!¡± Vrian says, and I don¡¯t bother arguing with him. The kid would win. ¡°Wait here. I don¡¯t want you getting wet. Thest thing I need is your mother going off at me for getting you sick,¡± I tell him before shoving the door open and rushing out toward the storage locker. It took me a good thirty minutes of moving boxes before I got to the I cupboard, and I found the yellow box he mentioned at the bottom of it. Taking the lid off, I nearly choked on my spit as I pulled it out. Tears brimmed in my eyes a SI chuckled. I always wondered what happened to that ugly thing. I had made it in wood ss the first year of high school and gave it to my father. Opening the lid, I see my name burned into the wood. Dad must have given it to her. I thought my father threw it out. It had a huge, gaudy looking wooden flower on top. We were making mother¡¯s day boxes. Growing up, I always hated mother¡¯s day because I didn¡¯t have mine around. So I always gave them to dad. However, it was definitely broken and I could see Everly had used superglue to put the splintered wood back together. Some bits were still broken and had gaps where she couldn¡¯t glue the pieces back together in it. Biting my lip, I now knew it wasn¡¯t the jewelry Everly was upset about. It was because she knew mum treasured the box she kept the jewelry in. She had to have known because she wouldn¡¯t have put it back together, because it was the ugliest box I had ever seen and definitely not a work of art. Suddenly I was d I am an Alpha because I was not going anywhere with m y carpentry skills, that¡¯s for sure. She kept it, all these years and she kept it. I chuckled before grabbing a towel and wrapping it around the box before tucking it under my arm and rushing back to the car. Opening the car, I ced i ton the passenger seat before rushing back to lock the shed back up. Chapter 82 Chapter 82 Chapter 82 ¨C Everly POV Hours passed, and dinner was going cold while I waited for Valen and Valerian. Not that I made anything special; I was too tired and wanted to sleep. So I only made spaghetti bolognese. However, Valen said he would be home before dinner, and dinner was cooked two hours ago. ncing at the clock, it was 730 PM, and the storm outside had intensified. Lightning streaked across the gloomy sky, not one star in sight as the clouds blocked out even the moon. Walking back into the living room, I snatched my phone off the coffee table and redialed his number. The phone didn¡¯t even ring; it went straight to voicemail. Waiting another 10 minutes, I picked up my phone again to call when it began ringing in my hand. A private number came through, and I sighed. Finally, he thought to ring back. Only when I answered I wasn¡¯t expecting the feminine voice I heard. ¡°Hello, is this Everly¡¯s phone?¡±es my mother¡¯s voice. Shocked, I pull the phone from my ear to look at the screen before cing it back. ¡°Mum?¡± I asked. ¡°Oh, thank God, I thought your receptionist gave me another wrong number,¡± she says. I didn¡¯t know what t o say. It was one thing seeing her on the day of the Alpha meeting, but I found myself suddenly lost for words on the phone. I no longer knew how to speak to the woman who gave birth to me. So much had changed, and I had changed. My family were suddenly strangers to me, and I no longer identified myself with them anymore. ¡°Are you there?¡± she asks. ¡°Ah, yes, sorry. Why are you calling?¡± I blurted, without thinking. She had never rung before, not even when she promised to when I turned up on her doorstep that stormy night. So many broken promises, our rtionship now non-existent. ¡°I um. I wanted to check on you after the incident with the rogues. Your father tried to see, but your mate wouldn¡¯t let him in.¡± ¡°Well, you could have visited; he let Ava in,¡± I tell her, and she falls quiet. I found it hard to make chit-chat with her. The silence as we tried to think of what to say was awkward. ¡°So, how have you been?¡± she asks, and I bite my lip, hesitant to answer. Did she genuinely care? Something bothered me with how she rang out of the blue. ¡°Yeah, good, waiting for Valen and Vrian to get home,¡± I tell her. ¡°He looks so much like his father,¡± she says, and I nod, moving into the kitchen and covering their dinners. ¡°So, ah, how is Ava?¡± | ask, trying to divert the conversation. ¡°Ava is Ava. She is being difficult.¡± ¡°And why is that?¡± ¡°Because she wants to go away to university, she doesn¡¯t want to take over the pack,¡± My mother says. ¡°Well, find someone else to take over then,¡± I tell her, looking at the clock and the minutes ticking by. I was starting to worry that something had happened because I had heard no word. cing the phone on the loudspeaker, I searched for Vrian¡¯s tracking device in his watch¡­ ¡°It¡¯s not that simple, and you know that,¡± she answers. I watched it load before seeing he was at the shoppingplex and sigh when I see it leading toward the car park and know they must be on the way home now. ¡°Are you listening?¡± my mother asks. ¡°Yes, still here,¡± I tell her, turning the loudspeaker off. ¡°Sorry, I was checking an email,¡± I lied. I had no idea why I lied, but it wasn¡¯t like it was any of her business. ¡°There is another thing I wanted to talk to you about.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± I asked. ¡°Your father said you put a petition in to change thews surrounding the rogues,¡± ¡°Yes, interested in signing it?¡± I ask, knowing I needed at least four Alpha signatures. ¡°No, but you should pull it. You are drawing unwee attention. Your father nearly had a heart attack when it hit his email. Withdraw the application, Everly,¡± my mother says andughs, shocked by her words. ¡°I am being serious. You have no idea what is at stake!¡± she snaps. ¡°Did dad put you up to this?¡± ¡°No, yes¡­ But he is correct. Are you hoping to start a war? It will change nothing. No Alpha will sign that petition. It will change nothing but cause issues within the City.¡± ¡°I am not pulling the petition, Mum. I don¡¯t care who it upsets. It is time things change. This is a good thing,¡± I tell her. ¡°It is reckless and will cause trouble for your father. You have no idea what you are getting yourself into. You have been Luna for all but 5 minutes and are making poor choices already!¡± she says, and I scoff. ¡°I know exactly the trouble it will cause in the City, and it is why I am doing it. Try living in the rogue¡¯s shoes for once, mother. Without your credit cards or the pack¡¯s money, you wouldn¡¯tst one day. Nothing you say will get me to pull that petition, so jump on board and ept it. I don¡¯t care about your reputation or dad¡¯s. You never cared for mine.¡± I snapped back at her. ¡°You are going to start a war!¡± She screamed. ¡°War?¡± Iugh. ¡°I have been at war with the packs since I was 17. Packs don¡¯t scare me, mother. I learned to live on my own without a pack. Instead, I built an empire. And I sure as hell don¡¯t need a pack because I have something far more valuable than a pack of mindless idiots that follow orders from Alpha that has no care for his people. I have a family, and families fight for each other. You may not have fought for me, but I will fight for mine!¡± | tell her before hanging up. I cursed, annoyed she would ring me just to get me to pull a petition and berate me. Shaking my head, I was about to ring Valen again when I heard the front door open and close. ¡°Finally!¡± | sighed with relief as I walked toward the hall. Vrianes rushing toward me excitedly, soaking wet. ¡°It¡¯s raining,¡± Valerian says, and I chuckle.¡± I can tell. Where did you and your father go?¡± I ask him just as Valen steps past me, pecking my cheek as he heads for the kitchen with grocery bags. ¡°Ah, we went to get groceries,¡± Vrian says, looking around me to look at his father, who was unpacking the grocery bags. ¡°Where else did you go?¡± | ask him when Valen calls out to him. ¡°Go get out of your wet clothes, quick. Mum made dinner,¡± he says, and Vrian rushes off before I could question him more. I purse my lips, watching him run off. ¡°How was your day?¡± he asked before I could question him on why they took so long. ¡°Good, yours?¡± Valen shrugs and turns to the microwave to heat Vrian¡¯s dinner. ¡°Worked at the homeless shelter, you shoulde by tomorrow so I can show you around¡± he says nod when he rummages through another bag, pulling out my ice cream and chucking it to me. ¡°Oh, you remembered,¡± I tell him, cing it in the freezer. Yet Valen was being awfully quiet, making me wonder what he was up to. I went to ask when Vrian rushed out in dry clothes and sat at the table. Valen pulls his dinner from the microwave and takes it over to him while I watch them both. ¡°You two are up to something,¡± I tell them, and Vrian looks up at his father. I narrow my eyes at them both. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. ¡°What?¡± Valen asks. ¡°Well, first, he usually tells me all about his day when I see him, and I got vague answers. You were both two hourste, and it doesn¡¯t take two hours to get two bags of groceries from a shop that is two minutes from here,¡± I tell him. ¡°Hm, well, care to exin why our son has a tracking device on his watch?¡± Valen retorts. ¡°You know why. Besides, it is for his safety, so don¡¯t change the subject. Where were you both?¡± I told him. ¡°Shopping,¡± Valen says, and Vrian nods his head. ¡°Fine, don¡¯t tell me. I will check his tracker datater,¡± I smirked, folding my arms across my chest. ¡°No, need. I made him leave it in the car except when we stopped to grab groceries, but you will know soon enough anyway,¡± Valen chuckles, and so does Vrian. Valen returns to the kitchen and heats his own dinner up and mine, and we sit down and eat. After dinner, Valen stayed busy working on hisptop while Vrian did his homework. Bored with watching TV, I walked over to see what Valen was working on. ¡°What are you doing?¡± | asked, peering over his shoulder. ¡°The designpany wants to know what I want on the sign.¡± Llooked at his sign design. It looked good but was kind of dull ¡°Mountainview Homeless shelter¡± was also kind of predictable. ¡°You don¡¯t like it?¡± Valen sighs. ¡°How about you let me design it?¡± ¡°You want to help? What about your petition?¡± ¡°I can do both. Is this the designer you¡¯re going through? I also know a better designer who is local and has a cheaper signage manufacturer,¡± I tell him. ¡°Who is your designer, the same one that did the murals along the restaurant walls?¡± he asks, and I nod. ¡°Yep, I know she would love to do it,¡± ¡°She?¡± ¡°Me,¡± I tell him. ¡°Wait, you did the murals in the restaurant,¡± I nodded. ¡°Yes, and the one in the pool area along the fence. We couldn¡¯t find anyone to do them back then, and used to paint. Your mother found one of my drawings and asked me to have a go at doing a mural. I did one, then she got me to paint all of them,¡± Iughed. ¡°You don¡¯t paint anymore?¡± ¡°No time anymore, but I was going to ask if I could do a mural out the front of the homeless shelter anyway, so I can design your sign and send it off to get it made?¡± | told him. He thinks for a second before nodding ¡°Any other cool things you can do?¡± I shrug. ¡°No, but Macey did all the welding statues in the gardens,¡± I tell him. ¡°Macey can weld?¡± he asked. ¡°Yep, she used to do odd jobs as a welder/metal fabricator around the city,¡± I tell him. ¡°Huh, I did not know that,¡± he murmurs thoughtfully, and I shrug before messing Vrian¡¯s hair. I nce at his work to see him finished and now just doodling on the edges of the paper. ¡°Right, that is sorted, then. If you give me a list of what you want when you can, I will order it in,¡± Vrian says, and I smile. I hadn¡¯t painted in so long, so I was excited about the challenge. 1 Hearing my phone bing with a message, I check it. I didn¡¯t recognize the number, but knew undoubtedly where it came from by the statement it held. ¡®Think, Everly, you could destroy everything you worked so hard for, pull the petition, or the packs will come for you.¡¯l growl, annoyed at the threat, and Valen looks over at me. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Valen asks and I shake my head. ¡°Nothing, I will sort it,¡± I tell him before cing the phone back down and walking off to get Vrian ready for bed. Chapter 83 Chapter 83 Chapter 83 Valen POV I could tell something was wrong with Everly, feel her stress through the bond. I could also feel she didn¡¯t want to worry me about whatever was bothering her. She was so used to dealing with her struggles herself, I think she forgets she can actually share them and that she was never a burden to me. ¡°Are you going to stop by the homeless shelter today?¡± I ask her as she gathers her handbag and keys. ¡°Yes, I will stop by after I see Emily. Any news from the patrols about any more forsaken sightings or anything on her son?¡± she asks me. I really wish I had an answer for her, but I didn¡¯t. We had no leads, no scent trails, nothing. It was like they vanished altogether. ¡± No , but as soon as I hear anything. J promise you will be the first to know . There have been talks about a city meeting in theing weeks to figure out something to do about the forsaken sightings and missing rogues ¡® situation . Pack members are bing nervous , and it might also be a good time to bring up the rogue issues ? ¡± I tell her , and Everly nods . ¡± Yes , let¡¯s hope the petition goes well and I get a date to be heard sometime today . ¡± Everly sighs and rubs her temples when her phone goes off in her handbag . She pulls it out , nces at the screen , and shakes her head . ¡± What¡¯s wrong ? ¡± I ask , watching her as I tie my shoces . ¡± Nothing , mum has been pestering me to pull the petition and drop the rogue issue , ¡± she says and I noticed she sounded tired . Everly did look tired , actually . And I noticed she was tossing and turning all night in her sleep . ¡± What did she say ? ¡± ¡± That I would start a war , ¡± she says with a shrug . ¡± Funny , your father said something along those lines at the hospital , ¡± I tell her . Everly chews her lip nervously . ¡± What war , though , ¡± we say simultaneously , and she giggles . ¡± Jinx , ¡± I tell her while getting to my feet . ¡± I have no idea . Mum rang mest night , ¡± Everly exins . ¡± So that is why you have been in a weird mood then , ¡± I tell her while wrapping my arms around her shoulders . ¡± Maybe I can try to get a hold of Ava . I am not sure what is happening , but even your father thought something was going on behind the scenes with my father , ¡± she tells me . ¡± Try your sister ande see me at the homeless shelter when you aren¡¯t busy . I will be there all day . I have contractorsing to assess the damage , ¡± I tell her . However , I was dreading the bill for that . ¡± Well , you are going in the opposite direction , so I will run Vrian to school , ¡± she tells me before calling out to our son. ¡± Yeah , I aming , ¡± Vrian growls , making me raise an eyebrow at his grumpy mood . ¡± What¡¯s wrong with you ? ¡± I ask him . ¡± I don¡¯t want to go to school . I wanted toe to the homeless shelter , ¡± he pouted . ¡± Not today , maybe on the weekend . Besides , there is too much machinery and people working there at the moment . It isn¡¯t safe , ¡± I exin , and he sighs . Everly quickly fixed his tie and zer while I ced his lunch in his bag . Waiting for them to leave , I quickly cleaned the kitchen , packing up the school supplies Everly left out . I didn¡¯t want to say anything , but when she is rushing around , she tends to forget to put stuff away and leaves it out . It was a pet peeve , but damn , it made me flustered . Finally leaving , I caught the lift to the underground car park . I didn¡¯t go straight to the homeless shelter . Instead , I went to the jeweler . Vrian said Everly didn¡¯t like diamonds , which I wanted to put in my mother¡¯s ring , but Vrian wanted to pick . And he chose Serendibite . He liked the color of it . The only issue is sourcing one to fit in the ring because Serendibite is a rare mineral and hard to source . The jeweler only had one , but it was tiny , and the ring I wanted i t in would need to be altered to hold the stone . Once I get to the za , I walk up the side alley where the jeweler is , pushing the door open . The bell sounds to alert Dion of customers . He was around my age , and we went to school together . ¡± Hey Dion , any luck ? ¡± I ask , closing the door behind me and walking toward the counter . Dion was looking at hisptop , chin propped on his hand . His sses perched on his nose as he stared at the screen . He sighs , pulling his sses off and cing them on the ss disy cab ¡± Your son had to pick Serendibite , ¡± he . chuckles while shaking his head and running his hand through his gelled hair . He leans back in his chair , folding his tattooed arms across his chest . Dion looked more like a biker than a jeweler . ¡± Can¡¯t source one ? ¡± I ask . ¡± Oh , I can get one , but are you sure you want to use that ring ? Your mother¡¯s ring , I can melt it down and remake a nicer one using the gold ? ¡± I shake my head , and he sighs . ¡± Well then , you best get your wallet out then , Alpha . Serendibite is $ 18,000 a carat , and the earliest I can get it is in six weeks . Then , I will have to cut it to fit . I can only find raw material so far , ¡± he tells me . However , I already researched itst night while Everly was asleep and knew it would be costly because they were in scarce supply and rare . ¡± Invoice me , and I will transfer it . Also , the band , you said it was thick enough to engrave ? ¡± I ask . Dion nods . I pull the piece of paper from my pocket and hand it to him , and he reads it . ¡± So much for big bad Alpha , big softy , ¡± he smiles . ¡± Send me the invoice and ring when it is ready , ¡° Iughed while turning and heading for the door . Driving to the homeless shelter , I was prepared to get my hands dirty no matter how much that thought made me shudder . I was not ready to find the roof completely ripped off from the storm . My jaw dropped when I stepped out of the car to see a huge cleanup . The roof ripped off a s if it had been peeled away . The structure stood . However , the inside was flooded , and I groaned with annoyance . Just what I needed . The storm was the worst we had had in years . The damage I could see on the main street was shocking enough , but this side of town seemed to take a more brutal hit . I t made me wonder how Everly¡¯s Hotel was . No doubt it would have been smashed by the wild weather . Walking over to one of the project managers , he ordered around his leading hand and a few supervisors and designated specific areas to start the cleanup . When he notices me , Bill turns around to face me . ¡± Alpha , ¡± he nods to me , stroking his beard before twirling the end through his fingers . ¡± So do you want the good news or the bad news first ? ¡± he asks . C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. ¡± Is there any good news ? ¡± ¡± There is . The building didn¡¯t copse , ¡± Bill states . ¡± Is that the good news ? ¡± I ask , and heughs . ¡± Yep , now the bad news . This just added another month to the timeline and raised the cost . ¡± Anything else ? ¡± ¡± Yep , the sewer overflowed out the back , and it seems the entire city¡¯s shit washed into the far yground out the back , ¡± he tells me . And there was my queue to leave because , shit ? Naah , I ain¡¯t touching , smelling , or going within the vicinity of the sewers out back . ¡± Got you some gumboots , ¡± Bill says and I shake my head . ¡± Nope , just remembered I have an emergency meeting , ¡± I tell him , and heughs . ¡± I thought you were willing to get your hands dirty for once , Alpha ? ¡± Bill taunted . ¡± Important meeting , ¡± I tell him . ¡± Yeah , with who ? ¡± he knew I was full of shit , no pun intended , and was determined to call me out on it . ¡± With someone important . ¡± 11 . ¡± More important than the Blood Alpha ? ¡± he asks , scratching his chin and squinting at me . I swear he twirls that beard on purpose because he knows it irritates me . I wanted scissors to cut it off . ¡± Of course , far more important , ¡± I tell him . ¡± Name ? ¡± he challenges , and his eyes crinkle around the edges while he watches me try to get out of helping . ¡± Luna ! ¡± I tell him . ¡± Ah , nice save , Alpha . I see , hiding behind our Luna now , ¡± heughs . ¡± I¡¯ll be sure to tell her that next time I see her , ¡± he laughed before motioning for me to go . Yep , blood , puke , I can kinda manage shit , nope ! I draw the line at fecal matter . ¡± I will be sure to send Marcus over . He would love to help . ¡± I tell Bill as I climb back into the driver¡¯s seat . Marcus had rung me early this morning when he was on his way to get Casey from Macey¡¯s . Zoe¡¯s heat had finished , although she would be remaining home today to rest . Marcus said he was ready toe back to work , and I now have the perfect job as m y recement . ¡± Siri , call Marcus , ¡± I tell my car stereo as I pull away from the curb . Marcus answers as I pull into traffic and stop at a traffic light . ¡± Hey , what¡¯s up ? I was actually about to ring you , ¡± he says . ¡± Can you do me a favor ? ¡± I ask him . ¡± Depends , ¡± he says warily , and I try to suppress myughter . ¡± I am supposed to help at the homeless shelter , but something hase up . Bill needs extra men , so can you grab Tatum and a few others and go help him in the rear yground and help clean up ? ¡± ¡± ¡± Yeah , sure thing . Just give me an hour . ¡± ¡± I will let Bill know , ¡± I tell him . ¡± Sweet . I don¡¯t suppose you are going anywhere near the council chambers ? ¡± Marcus asks . ¡± No , I was headed to the hotel . Why ? ¡± ¡± Everly got a rejection letter . I just dropped Casey off to Zoe , and she said Everly is on the warpath . I was about to head over there , ¡± ¡± I will go ; I am turning around now , ¡± I tell him before ripping a U ¨C turn and earning some ring horns from other cars . I curse . This was not good . Chapter 84 Chapter 84 Alpha¡¯s Regret-My Luna Has A Son Chapter 84 Everly POV Taking a bite out of my muffin, Zoe looked like crap as she rested her head on the table. I chuckle at her and shake my head. I came here to check on her and bring her some breakfast. Marcus had gone to collect Casey so Macey could take Zoe¡¯s shift today, and I now understood why she couldn¡¯t work. ¡°Stopughing,¡± she groans before getting up and walking to the fridge with her melted bago f frozen peas. ¡°Ew, throw them,¡± I tell her, taking another bite from my muffin. She snatches another bag of frozen vegetables, stuffs them down the front of her pajama shorts, and sighs. I snort as she awkwardly walks back to her chair and sits on it. ¡°My vagina feels chaffed. Is that possible?¡± Zoe groans, resting her head on the tabletop. ¡°He broke it,¡± she whines, and Iugh at her. ¡°So unfair. Marcus has a jolly good time while here I am stuffing frozen vegetables down my pants because I feel like I have carpet burn where I shouldn¡¯t have carpet burn,¡± she growls. ¡°I am eating,¡± I tell her, shaking my muffin at her, not wanting that image in my head. ¡°Sorry, but let me whine; I have a literal fire crotch situation going on here,¡± ¡°Again, I am eating. You are the little sister that over shares with the info; I don¡¯t need to know what is going on with yourdy bits,¡± I tell her when my phone bings, telling me I had received an email. ¡°Could be worse-¡± Zoe rambles, and her words fall on deaf ears as I pull my phone out and see the email from the city council. One step forward and two steps back, always the same shit on repeat. A growl slips out of me, startling Zoe as I read over the rejection letter. When I see the signing alphas, I wrap my muffin back up in its wrapper, and Zoe looks at me ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± she asks, instantly alert. ¡°It was rejected,¡± ¡°What was?¡± ¡°My petition for the rogues,¡± I tell her, getting up from my seat. ¡°What are you doing?¡± she asks as I dump the rest of my coffee in the sink. Only when I do the mug burst in my hand. I blink at my bleeding hand. ¡°Shit!¡± I curse under my breath, picking u p the broken pieces of ss and dumping them in the bin before snatching some hand towels out from under the sink. I rinse my hand, pulling a shard of thick ss from my palm and wrapping it. Zoe shrieks seeing blood dripping from my hand, yet I felt nothing. I was pissed off that my father would sabotage me like this. I quickly wrap some paper handtowel around m y hand before snatching my handbag off the table. ¡°Everly?¡± Zoe says, reaching for my hand. ¡°I¡¯m going to try to fix it,¡± I tell her. ¡°Wait, you need to calm down. Just wait, I wille with you,¡± she says, hopping up and wincing. I shake my head. ¡°Marcus will be here soon with Casey. And you have to freeze your rug burn,¡± I tell her, not realizing what I said as I stormed out. I rush down the steps and around the side of the building before climbing into my truck. Reversing out of my parking spot, I navigate through the packed car park before jumping into the traffic and heading for the council chambers. Finding a parking spot took me twenty minutes when I arrived, only adding to my pent-up anger. Snatching my bag off the front passenger seat, I stormed into the brick building and nearly ripped my arm off as I yanked the door open and shoved my way through the security checkpoint. Security rushed toward me, and I wasn¡¯t sure if it was the angered look on my face or the fact my hand was dripping blood everywhere. However, one growl from me made them stop in their tracks as my aura flew out and battered them. They stood struck, stunned, and blinking at me. It startled me momentarily before I shrugged. Thank you, mate bond! I thought as I moved toward the front desk to the clerk behind it who was on the phone. She h?ngs up and gives me a warm smile that slips off her face, and I try to rx my facial features, only realizing I was ring at the poor woman when she spoke. ¡°Luna,¡± she stutters, and I try to remember this woman isn¡¯t the cause of my anger. I nce a ther name tag. ¡°Hi, Amanda, I need to speak to someone about my rejected petition,¡± I tell her, leaning over the counter and showing the case number on my email. She quickly taps away at her keyboard. ¡°It says you needed four Alphas to sign off on it before it could be heard,¡± ¡°I have four Alpha¡¯s signatures,¡± I tell her, showing her mine and Valen¡¯s, along with the Alpha and Luna from the southeast borders. Amanda shakes her head. ¡°Yours and the Alpha Valens don¡¯t count since you are the one filing the petition,¡± she tells m ¡°Since when?¡± I snap at her before sucking in a deep breath. Not Amanda¡¯s fault, I remind myself. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Is there someone I can speak to about it?¡± I ask again, trying to keep my anger in check. ¡°¡®I can see if my supervisor is in?¡± she offers, and i nod, my fingers drumming impatiently on the desk. She makes a call and turns away from me. I watch her before ncing at the clock behind her o n the wall. I needed to get back to sign off on delivery in an hour. ¡°Sir? I have the Blood Luna here. She wants to speak with you.¡± I blink at what she called me. Hearing them call Valen that was one thing but me? ¡°I understand, sir. I will let her know,¡± she says before hanging up the phone. She turns in her seat and smiles apologetically at me. ¡°He is in a meeting and said you would have to book an appointment,¡± she says, shrinking in her seat. I purse my lips. This was some bullshit! I could guarantee they wouldn¡¯t pull this shit with my mate. ¡°Your supervisor¡¯s name, please?¡± I ask. ¡°Scott Peters Maam,¡± I click my tongue. Of course, he won¡¯t see me. He was a member of my father¡¯s pack. ¡°Thank you,¡± I tell her, turning on my heel to leave and heading for the doors. The security staff quickly opens the little gate I barged through on my way in, and I see another waiting there with a bandage in his hand. Sniffing the air, I could tell he was one of Alpha Nixon¡¯s pack members. He nods to me when I take it from him. ¡°Thank you,¡± I murmur, pushing the door open with my shoulder. Getting back to my car, I stare out the windscreen, trying to think. My father rejected the petition, and my mother rejected it. That stung more than it should for some reason, but seeing my father¡¯s signature o n the email really got to me. Even after all these years, he couldn¡¯t do one decent thing, not even for his disgraced daughter. This was bigger than me, it wasn¡¯t for me, and still, he rejected it. It was like he was shunning me all over again. When would I be enough? I blink the tears away. And Vrie¡¯s words came to my ears. ¡°They don¡¯t deserve your tears!¡± Knowing she was right, I sniffled and wiped them away. I didn¡¯t need them; I proved that. But that didn¡¯t mean I didn¡¯t want them. Miss what I once had. I wanted Vrian to know where I came from, to know the parents who raised me before they shunned me. Starting my car, I head back to the Hotel. Halfway home, my anger was still festering beneath the surface, my emotions trying to strangle me; my workers didn¡¯t deserve my anger, I thought to myself. Ripping the car off to the side of the road, I drummed my fingers on the steering wheel, debating what my next move should be. ¡°Fuck it!¡± N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. I growl, ncing in the side mirrors. When no cars areing, I rip a u-turn heading in the opposite direction to the Hotel. I floor my beast, the engine growling just like m e as I head back to the one ce I have not been to in years. I head to the ce I once called §ä§Ñ§â§ç§Ö: §à§ä home and to the very man who shunned me. He didn¡¯t deserve my tears, but he fucking deserved my anger, which is what he would be met with. Coming to the border patrols, they wave me down to pull over, but I flip them off whileughing my head off as my truck smashes through their boom gate, ripping it off before heading to the packhouse. If my father wasn¡¯t already alerted to the border breach, he sure as hell would hear meing with the way the engine roared as I put my foot down, heading for the center of his packnd. What should have been my packnds! Chapter 85 Chapter 85 Valen POV Caught in traffic on the way to the council chambers , I tried to ring Everly repeatedly . Her anger was all ¨C consuming , and I was now worried she would do something reckless . The traffic backed up only added to my anxiety . When her fury became too much through the bond , I found myself bing angered by it . Honking my horn , I tried to see around the cars ahead to see what was holding up traffic . Only then do I notice the police lights shing and realize it was a damn ident . How , it is a straight stretch of road ? How did someone take out the only damn traffic light pole on the center median strip ? I shake my head , annoyed . Drumming my fingers impatiently on the steering wheel , I try to call her again , but n o answer . Yet her anger slowly simmered down as I felt her start to be overwhelmed . Her emotions all over the ce made me feel manic . I had been waiting for ten minutes , and we hadn¡¯t moved an inch . However , when I felt through the bond she was moving further away , my heart raced , wondering where she was going ? Her anger had returned full force , maybe even angrier , and my heart raced and thumped wildly in my chest as panic set in . Sticking my head out the window , I see the tow truck start hauling the wrecked vehicle away . Surprisingly , the buffoon driver survived but was clearly intoxicated as he stumbled over his feet when I noticed Officer Derrick dragging him into his wagon¡¯s back . Yes ! He is one o f my guys ! Sticking my fingers in my mouth , I whistled to grab his attention . He looks r up the line of cars backed up , and I open the mind ¨C link . ¡± Clear the other side of the road . I need to get my mate , ¡± I tell him . He nods ,jumping in his car before turning the sirens on and pushing into the oing traffic while workers tried to reove the busted light pole . Leaving his sirens on , I pulled into oing traffic that had moved to the shoulder of the road beforeing up behind him . Following behind his car as he forced the traffic to move . Once I was on a clear stretch , he moved over so I could overtake him , and I pressed my foot down on the gas headed for the council chambers , yet the closer I got , the more I felt the need to keep going . Passing the council chambers , I do not see her truck parked and curse , knowing where she went . There was only one pack in the direction I felt the tether forcing me too , and that was Shadow Pack , her father¡¯s pack . This woman would be the death of me . She was going to give me a damn heart attack , I thought as I raced to get to her . Coming to the gated community , I slowed down when I noticed the guards weren¡¯t posted like usual , and the boom gate was smashed all over the ground , splintered wood in chunks littered the road . Fuck ! Shaking my head , I head toward the packhouse . After a few more minutes of m e tearing up the streets Ie to Alpha John¡¯s street to find people lining the streets and all looking toward the packhouse . I soon find out why as people jump out of the way of my car before pulling up out front to find Everly , Ava , and John having a confrontation . ************ EVERLY POV Border patrol shifted instantly , chasing after my car . I don¡¯t stop . Instead , I navigated around the suburb I hadn¡¯t been through in years . I ended up driving past my old street , which was a cul ¨C de sac . ¡± Shit ! ¡± I cursed . mming my foot down on the brake , my truck came to a screeching halt before shoving it in reverse , making the border patrols chasing me skid along the road and scatter out of my way as I reversed back before spinning the wheel and flooring it again . * Howl¡¯s rang out loudly , alerting pack members to the intruder , yet I was not an intruder but by birthright their true . Alpha . Driving up the street , I begin to slow as deja ¨C vu hits me . The street looked the same , the houses precisely the same a s I pulled into the driveway and hit the brakes before smashing in the ass end of my father¡¯s ck Mustang parked in the driveway . My old beasty would have destroyed it , in some ways I wouldn¡¯t have minded seeing my bullbar imprinted in its backend . My father¡¯s warriors circle around the car , growling and snarling , but I pay them no mind as I toss the door open and hop.out . I was furious , murderous even . Never in m y life have I been so damn angry before . N o one , not even Valen , had pulled anger out of me like this . It briefly came to mind that maybe it was years of pent ¨C up anger , and my father was the tipping point that opened the floodgates up , also unleashing something else , my aura ! mming my door , I silently apologize to my beloved car for mistreating it . Wolves had circled my car but I was furious and not in the mood . Recognizing me or maybe recognizing my mate¡¯s pack scent , scratch that , my pack scent , I was their Luna now , making them also mine . They backed up as I stalked around my car toward the front door . Their eyes tracked my every move . Stepping onto thewn , the front door bursts open , and my mother steps out , her shock dominating her features as she cupped her mouth with her hands . ¡± Everly ? ¡± she murmurs as I move toward her , her warriors following at my heels , ready to protect their Luna if needed . My father¡¯s stomping footsteps could be heard from outside as he stomped through the house . The creak of the screen door opens , and it bangs hard against the wall on the porch . ¡± What is the meaning of this , Everly ? My border patrol said you smashed through m y barriers ? ¡± ¡± No , hello , father ? ¡± I ask , stopping at the bottom steps as he stomped down them to stop in front of me . ¡± You have no business being here , Everly , he boomed . ¡± I wouldn¡¯t be here except you signed my rejection letter for the fucking petition I handed in yesterday ! ¡± I yell back at him just as the door opens , and I see Ava step out . Oh , was she a defiant piece of work , give him hell sis ! Ava waves her fingers at me , and I smirk as she strolls down the steps , pping my mother¡¯s hands away as she tries to stop her . Ava smirks like she had been waiting for this showdown all her life and wanted a front ¨C row seat . ¡± Get inside . Ava ! ¡± my father snaps at her a s she walks past him to lean on the hood o f my father¡¯s car . He growls at her when she doesn¡¯t listen . ¡± Sign the petition , dad , ¡± I tell him , diverting his attention away from her . He turns his head to re at me and takes a step forward . The shock on his face when I didn¡¯t move made his eyebrows rise and almost disappear into his hairline . Avaughs , falling into fits of giggles holding her stomach , and my father snarls at her before nodding to one of his men . When I felt the strange tingling sensation rushing over me , he tried to use his aura on me , and it had no effect whatsoever . One of dad¡¯s warriors , Lance , shifts back t o grab Ava and drag her inside . Her shriek had me turning my head from my father t o look at him . ¡± Do not touch my sister , ¡± I warned him . When I see his hand reach for her arm , he freezes , ncing at my father , who waves him off . ¡± We can discuss this inside , ¡± he says to m e before turning his back on me and heading for the steps . ¡± No , here will do , Alpha John , ¡± I tell him , and he stops . He turned slowly ¨C on the step , and my mother looked terrified behind him as he turned to face me . He nces around the cul ¨C de ¨C sac , and I turn to see what he is looking at . Pack members flooded the footpaths as they came out of their houses to see themotion . I shake my head . Same shit all over again . All he cared about was his reputation and how he looked to others . ¡± This is a family matter , Everly . We will talk inside . No need to air our dirtyundry for the world to see , ¡± he growls , his eyes flickering ck . Iugh and shake my head . ¡± What now I a m family ? Funny ,st I checked , you shunned me and banished me from the pack along with your grandson , the blood Alpha¡¯s son ! ¡± I tell him . H My father growls , his eyes darting around to his pack members who watched on . Inside ! ¡± he spat through gritted teeth . ¡± No , you won¡¯t save face this time . Now d o the right thing and sign off on the petition , ¡± I tell him . ¡± This debate will not be settled in front of my pack ! ¡± he snarls , stomping back down the steps . ¡± You mean MY pack ? I am the rightful heir to YOUR pack ! ¡± I tell him , and murmurs break out around us at the challenge . ¡° Sign the petition , John , or you leave me n o choice , ¡± I tell him . Despite my blistering hot rage at him , I was surprised at how cold and calm my voice came out . Avaughs , and my mother¡¯s mouth opens and closes like a fish as she looks nervously between us . The sound of screeching tires and the roar of an engine tearing through the streets could be heard easily as the car drifted through the streets . I knew it was Valen . I could feel him getting closer to me through the bond , his panicked voice flitting through my head , wanting to know what was going on and if I was alright , yet I couldn¡¯t answer without bing distracted . My fatherughs . ¡± You daree here and threaten me , ¡± he growls . ¡± It¡¯s not a threat , Alpha . Threats mean you can back out , and mere words , not actions . I intend to do what I say . Words are no use to me . Actions are . So final warning , ¡± I tell him . Heughs and shakes his head , stepping down thest step . Now he was pissed off . I wouldn¡¯t back down , not this time . I wasn¡¯t a little girl anymore . I wasn¡¯t a child , and one thing being on my own for s o long showed me is I didn¡¯t need a pack t o fight for me . I could stand on my own two feet and still seed . He scoffs , folding his arms across his chest . Think Everly , just because you have Alpha Valen behind you now doesn¡¯t mean I will submit . Your mate doesn¡¯t scare me . ** ¡± I don¡¯t need him to challenge you , and I would never ask him to , but as the rightful heir to this pack , I have every right to challenge you for MY title . Now sign the damn petition . This isn¡¯t about m e , or you . It is the right thing to do ! ¡° ¡± They are rogues for a reason , Everly , you can¡¯t expect us to suddenly grant them back their rights for their misdoings , ¡± he states , and everyone murmurs in agreement as whispers break out from the crowd we have gathered . Turning , I see most of them are in agreement with my father , which just makes this even more disgusting . They were sheep , all of them . ¡± Misdoings ? They are rogue for having a fucking child , the same as all of you here . The only difference is they were banished for who fathered them , their children then forced to live in poverty and with the weight of their parent¡¯s so ¨C called misdeed on their shoulders ,beling them for something that shouldn¡¯t be shameful , ¡± I tell them . ¡± How can you say that ? They are home wreckers , whores . ¡± Comes Amber¡¯s voice from somewhere in the crowd gathered . I turned to look for her , and she stepped out from behind my father¡¯s Beta , who was also his neighbor and her father . ¡± So , what does that make Micah ? ¡± I ask her . ¡± You darebel my friend because your mate stuck his dick someone that wasn¡¯t you ? Sorry to tell you , Amber , clearly you aren¡¯t aware how a child is made , you seem to have it stuck in your head that Micah tripped and fell into her vagina . ¡± m y crude words earned some whispers and a couple ofughs but I was done being slut shamed , done hearing the term Rogue Whore . ¡± She should know better , ¡± Amber screams , her face turning red . ¡± And so should he . They had sex , and she got pregnant . Yet she is punished for it . How is that fair ? How is any of it fair ? ¡± I ask . Fools , the lot of them .. It makes meugh . ¡± I could call out , ¡± I look around at all the staring faces . ¡± Easily 10 men here I know that fathered an illegitimate child ? ¡± I yell and I nce around to see some of the men stiffen . ¡± You call us whores for raising the children you turned your backs on , yet we are the deadbeats , the scum of the city ? The onesbeled , so where are all yourbels , huh ? Punishing your own children for something they had no part in , they never asked to exist that was the decision of two consenting adults that had sex , yet you shame them too for who their mother is , ¡° They made that mistake . They brought it on themselves . We are all taught the same thing to save ourselves for our mates ! I did the right thing , yet your friend has a child with my mate ! C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. ¡± Amber screams at m e . ¡± No , amber she had sex and got pregnant ! Don¡¯t stand here and make yourself out to be better than her , just because no one here is willing to talk about the fact that the Beta¡¯s daughter was also the school bike , doesn¡¯t make you any better just because you didn¡¯t get knocked up ! ¡± ¡± How dare you , I am the Beta¡¯s- ¡± ¡± A whore ? Half the football team ran through you from what I remember of school , but let¡¯s not mention that , ¡± I tell her . ¡± And let¡¯s not forget half the school . Daddy must be so proud , ¡± Ava chimes in behind me . Woah , clearly , these two weren¡¯t friends anymore . ¡± Ava , stay out of it , ¡± my father snapped at her . Secondster , Valen¡¯s car screeched and drifted around the corner down the end of the street . Everyone on the road jumped out of his way as his car screeched to a stop out the front of my father¡¯s house . He jumps out of his car and growls , and everyone jumps back as my mate gets out , stalking toward us only to stop when Ava keeps arguing with my father .. ¡± Why , it¡¯s the truth ? What Everly says is the truth ! You all shunned my sister , your future Alpha , because she had a kid . Well , jokes on you , isn¡¯t it because it turns out she wasn¡¯t a rogue whore and mates to the most notorious Alpha in the city , the very man who fathered her child . ¡± Ava says , pushing off the car to stand beside m e as I confront the pack that should have been mine and my father . ¡± But you knew that ? Didn¡¯t you , father . I knew it . We all knew it . Only one bloodline has those eyes , ¡± Ava continues , making m e suck in a breath as I turn to face my father . I nce at my mother , who looks away , confirming her words . ¡± Can¡¯t have that , can we , dad . Daddy¡¯s little girl sleeping with her father¡¯s rival ? S o instead , you shun her , sweep her disgrace under the rug , ¡± Ava says . I press my lips in a line . Her words stung . What I wasn¡¯t expecting was for him to admit it , especially in front of Valen . ¡± Of course , I fucking knew ! Do you think I didn¡¯t check hotel security cameras when neither of you returned home ? I knew exactly where you were and whose room you were in . Who do you think had the security cameras wiped ? ¡± he bellowed . My father points at an angry shaking finger at me .. ¡± You ruined everything . You had one job , Everly , and you fucking disobeyed me . ¡± He yells , ¡± You nearly cost me my pack ! ¡± My brows furrow at his words , which made n o sense to me whatsoever . Me having a child was the downfall of his pack ? It made no sense . However upon hearing my father¡¯s words , Valen growled before taking a step forward and swinging at my father . My father , blinded by his rage , didn¡¯t see iting or by the time he did , he had no chance to block it as Valen¡¯s fist connected with his face . Chapter 86 Chapter86 My father stumbled back. Blood spurted from his broken nose but Valen swung again, knocking my fathe r down before pouncing on ng my father down before pouncing on him and raining blow after blow while my father tried to block his punches. My f ather¡®s warriors that chased me here raced toward Valen as he pummeled my father. My father snarled, blocking the next hit and punching Valen in the ribs, then splitting Valen¡®s eyebrow open with his next hit and my heart raced as my father¡®s wolves circled around us, trying to get to Valen without attacking my father. Valen punches my father again. When my father lifted his leg and kicked Valen in the chest, m y mother s creamed as they fought for supremacy. Valen is forced back and now an open target. The wolves charge d toward him and I gasped, tossing myself in their way.¡± ¡°Stand down,¡± I screamed, and my aura erupted out. My aura washed over them, and they all froze. The realization that mymand actually worked on them shocked me, however I was technically their true Alpha but still I thought for sure mymand would have no effect on m y father¡®s pack since I was no lo nger a member. Valen snarls and my father went to tackle him when Ava shoved herself between them. Both of them wer e breathing heavily in their rage, and I can feel that Valen was on the verge of shifting. I grabbed his arm, pushing him away while Ava and my father stood off. She was tiny between the two Alphas and if they at tacked each other again, she would get caught in the crossfire and so would I. Thankfully, my mother rus hes down the steps, tears streaking her face as she grabs my father¡®s arm, tugging him back. ¡°You knew I had a child?¡± Valen snarls behind me and tries to push me aside to get to my father again. M y hand hits his chest as he goes to attack him. Yes, he had every right to be pissed at my father, but this wasn¡®t his fight. We are also severely outnumbered. This wasn¡¯t supposed to happen, though the information was shocking that he knew all along. I didn¡®t want this to be a fight. Not for Valen, anyway. I came here, and I will not look weak by hiding behind my mate. My father shrugs my mother¡®s hand off and wipes his nose with the back of his hand and spits blood on t he ground. ¡°Of course, I knew. I wasn¡®t about to hand over my daughter to the likes o f you to use against me,¡± my father snarls. ¡°But it¡®s alright that you try to palm your other daughter off to him yearster,¡± I scoff. ¡°Yes, to clean up the mess you made! All you had to do was have the abortion, Everly. Instead, now you have put my entire pack at risk for breaking the treaty. How was I supposed to know Valen would turn out to be your mate!¡± my father sn arls, ¡°What fucking treaty? I had a baby! A son, a precious little boy, your grandson, you didn¡®t just punish me, you punished him! You punished my son because of who his father is?¡± ¡°Yes, because you were promised to another!¡± he bellowed. ¡°Your future was nned out, and you ruine d it all!¡± my father screams at me. ¡°John!¡± my mother gasps behind him. ¡°To who?¡± Valen demands with an angry growl. My father res at him before turning his attention back t o me. ¡°You have done enough damage, Everly. Now get off my packnds,¡± my father says, turning t o walk insi de. ¡°Sign the petition, dad. You owe me this!¡± I tell him, and he stops. His entire back tenses as he turns to fa ce me. ¡°Owe you? I fucking saved you!¡± he screams at me and Iugh. ¡°You.. saved me? No, you abandoned me. You tossed me out in the fucking rain and threw your grandso n and me to the streets to fend for ourselves. You didn¡®t save me, but I should thank you. Because if you didn¡®t, I would be wearing the sam e rose¨Ccolored sses as the rest of you here.¡± I tell him before looking at the crowd gathered. ¡°You are all blinded by your own ignorance and ego. Blind to those that reside in the city, those you all on ce promised to protect. Packs, packs are supposed to be family. Not one of you here knows the meaning of the word! If you did, your children and grandchildren wouldn¡®t be living on the streets. Wouldn¡®t be living in deplorable conditions because of abel you bestowed upon th eir mothers, your own Kids!¡± I screamed at them. ¡°The children you watched grow, the same children you taught how to use a spoon, how to talk. You i m you are the city¡®s elite, better than them, but you¡®re not. Because despite thebels you gave them, th ey stood up when the rest of you backed away. They stood up and raised the children that your mates pretend they don¡®t have! And if you think yo u¡®re good parents, then why aren¡®t you fighting for them? Love, nurture, protect, that is what a parenti s, and not one you deserve that title,¡± I tell them. They whispered amongst themselves, and I noticed more of my father¡®s warriors had appeared amongst the crowd, some in wolf form as they crept closer. I chuckle. He would have them attack his own daughter over the truth. ¡°I suggest you leave Everly,¡± my mother murmurs, ncing around nervously before looking at my father in horror. He looked smug and folded his arms across his chest in a show of intimidation. This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. Yet I don¡®t scare easily, not anymore. What should have frightened me no longer does. It was one thing being a rogue showed me. Fear changes and morphs into something else. You don¡®t fear being made forsaken. You fear the next day and how you will feed your child. You fear them growing up with thebel you hold. You fear the opportunities you know they will miss out on, you fear them being suppressed and silenced. I refused to be silent, yet I kne w Valen and I were severely outnumbered here if my father ordered his warriors to attack. Our pack wouldn¡®t get here before they ripped us apart, and there is a reason my father has the status h e does, why he seconded Alpha Valen¡®s pack because they were just as lethal. The only difference is they didn¡®t have his pack¡®s numbers. But number s mean nothing when they can¡®t get here in time. Although I had no doubt we could take down a vast majority of them, I knew for sure Valen could and would die for me. I won¡®t let my son grow u p with his father again. 1 ¡°Get in the car Valen,¡± I tell him, not taking my eyes off my father. My father smirks as if he won, but he hasn¡®t, and he won¡®t. Valen¡®s back brushes my arm as he nces around, realizing my father had called in the troops. He gro wls, pushing me behind him, but I grab his arm, and he nces at me. ¡°We need to leave,¡± he tells me through the Mindlink. ¡°Get in the car,¡± I tell him, holding eye contact with him. He growls, pushing me toward my car. ¡°Get in your car!¡± I tell him again, and he stops looking at me before ncing around before his eyes me et mine again. ¡°Everly, what are you doing?¡± he mind links. ¡°What I should have done years ago, now get in the car. I refuse to be seen as hiding behind you.¡± I tell him using the link. Valen blinks at me before growling. ¡°I am not walking away until I know you are safely in that car,¡± Valen growls loud enough for everyone to hear. ¡°Listen to your mate Everly. It¡®s time to leave,¡± my father says, softly. He actually sounded like he didn¡®t w ant it toe to this, which I thought was odd considering he ordered them here. The reputation all cam e down to reputation. Well, looks like I was about to earn mine. Valen nudges me toward my car, but I don¡®t budge. ¡°Do not ask me to walk away,¡± he murmurs, and I kne w everyone was waiting for the Big Bad Blood Alpha to drag me away kicking and screaming, but if Valen truly meant what he said, that I was his equal, he would do this for me. ¡°Please, just this once,¡± I mind¨C link, and he looks around me then growls angrily before leaning down and pecking my lips. ¡°He touches you. I will kill him,¡± he mind links. ¡°No, you won¡®t, but no one is dying here today. Just get in the car.¡± I tell him and he reluctantly pulls away , looking at me. ¡°You¡®re not?¡± he whispers, ¡°I am. Now, go,¡± I tell him. Valen curses, Dot happy, but suddenly understands. He shakes his head before he chuckles. ¡°Just this once,¡± he says, pecking my cheek and walking off toward his car. The murmurs of him walking away from me and leaving me out in the open were loud. Shocked, he would let his Luna fend for herself . They didn¡®t realize I didn¡®t need to hide behind anyone. I was born a n Alpha. It was my birthright, and now I am going to im it. ¡°Run along, Everly,¡± my father says, watching Valen climb into his car. ¡°No!¡± I tell him, and he growls, taking a step toward me, and his eyes dart over my shouldert o Valen¡®s car ¡°Everyone here will now bear witness,¡± I call out to everyone. My father growls. However, I keep going. ¡°I, Luna Everly of Nightshade pack, challenge you, Alpha John, for my rightful title and birthright as Alpha was loud as I challenged my father, who seemed stunned that I would dare challenge him. My father nces around at his pack, witnessing the reactions of his members to the challenge. If he bac ¡°So what will it be dad? Stand down and submit or ept the challenge,¡± I tell him. ¡°You foolish girl,¡± he growls before looking around and pressing his lips in a line. ¡°Challenge epted, next full moon council Arena,¡± he snaps before leaning toward me. ¡°You are going to get yourself killed. Rescind it, you don¡®t stand a chance, and you know it,¡± ¡°That is where you are wrong, father. 17 years you trained me, I didn¡®t suddenly forget, I was taught by on the best,¡± ¡°Yes, taught by me, you think you can beat me. You spent years as a rogue. Think of your son.¡± ¡°I am thinking of my son. I can and will win. You forget why a title is handed down to the eldest child, each generation stronger than a predecessor. Step down, dad, you¡®re looking at the next generation, someone that rivals y stronger than you one day. I saw no one bigger than you growing up. I held you up on a pedestal. You were my hero, but not anymore,¡± I tell him before turning my ¡°You¡®re making a mistake, Everly,¡± my father calls, but I keep walking to my car and open the driver¡®s side ¡°You have until the next full moon to back out,¡± my father says, earning some gasps from his pack. He did down. Rarely are they challenged for. It was also unheard of for an Alpha to offer the challenger a way out ¡°Don¡®t hold your breath waiting for me, father; I would hate for the challenge to be over before it starts,¡± I t Climbing in my car, I start the car only for the passenger side door to open. I look at it to see m y sister sit in the passenger. ¡°What are you doing?¡± I ask her. ¡°What I should have done the day he banished you! I aming with you,¡± she says, plugging in her seatbelt. I smile, and put the car in reverse. Chapter 87 Chapter 87 Everly POV We drove out of my father¡¯s pack territory. Valen followed close behind me, and just before we jumped on the main road, he shed his lights behind me before his voice flitted briefly through my head. ¡°Pull over,¡± he growled, he was angry, and I quickly pulled over to the shoulder of the road and away from the traffic. Ava nces at me, and I put the handbrake on. ¡°Wait here,¡± I sighed, climbing out of the car at the same time Valen did; I readied myself for his anger. He stalked toward me, and I was about to defend my actions when he grabbed my face and kissed me, pushing me against my car. ¡°Don¡¯t ever do that again,¡± he mumbled against my lips, his fingers tangling in my hair as his tongue invaded my mouth, kissing me angrily before he groaned, and my face heated, knowing my sister was in the the car while he devoured my lips . I push on his chest . ¡± Valen ! ¡± I squeak against his lips while pushing on his chest . He growls , mauling my lips while I look around , embarrassed at his public disy . He growls at me , grabbing m y hand and cing it on the center of his chest . His heart was racing beneath my hand , thumping so hard I worried he may have a heart attack . ¡± You just scared the living daylight out of me . Give m e a minute , ¡± he growled while pressing his face into my neck and inhaling deeply . Valen pushed closer , his entire body pressing against me , and I sighed , running my fingers through thick hair . And he was supposed to be the blood Alpha , on the verge of having a nervous breakdown ? ¡± Don¡¯t ever make me do that again . Do you have any idea how hard it was t o walk away and leave you there ? ¡± Valen says , his voice pleading . ¡± I didn¡¯t mean to scare you ; I am fine . Everything i s fine , ¡± I assured him . He sighs , nodding his head before cupping my face in his hands as he steps back . ¡± You challenged your father ! ¡± he said , and I couldn¡¯t help the stupid smirk that split onto my face at his words . I wasn¡¯t sure if he wanted to kill m e orugh . He clucked his tongue and shook his head . This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. ¡± You better win because if I kill your father , you can¡¯t me me for it , ¡± he tells me . ¡± No one is killing anyone , ¡± I tell him , and he presses his lips in a line . I know he was angry about learning my father knew all along about Vrian being his , but what¡¯s done is done . We can¡¯t go back and change it , so there is n o point in dwelling on it . My phone rings loudly in the car , and Ava sticks her head out the passenger window . ¡± What about your sister ? I don¡¯t trust her to stay with us . I know she is your sister , ¡± ¡± I didn¡¯t ask , and I wasn¡¯t going to , and she can stay at the hotel , ¡± I tell him , and he nods , looking over my shoulder , and so do I. Ava waves my phone to me . ¡± Hospital ! About some girl named Emily , ¡± My eyes widen , and Valen lets me go . I race over to take the phone from her . 11 My hand shook as I held the phone to my ear . Hello ? ¡± ¡± Luna Everly ? ¡± says a deep baritone voice on the other end of the line . ¡± Yes , you¡¯re speaking with her , ¡± I replied . ¡± I am one of the doctors taking care of Emily . I was wondering if you are avable toe to the hospital , you are her only listed contact , and we have no one listed as her family , ¡± ¡± Yes , correct , she has a son , but we still haven¡¯t located him , and her only other rtive , her mother , died a few years ago , ¡® ¡± I see . Is it possible you cane to the hospital ? ¡± the Doctor asked . ¡± Yes , I was heading over anyway . Is everything okay ? ¡± ¡± I¡¯m afraid not , Luna , but i t is best exined when you get here , ¡± he tells me . Valen grips my shoulder , and I nod . ¡± I¡¯ll be there soon , ¡± I tell the Doctor before hanging up . ¡± Emily ? ¡± Valen asks , and I nod , dialing Zoe and Macey before merging their calls . They both answered at the same time . ¡± What¡¯s up ? ¡± Macey asks . ¡± It¡¯s Emily , ¡± ¡± On my way , ¡± Macey says , hanging up . ¡± I will get Marcus to take Casey , ¡± Zoe says , hanging up as well . I swallow the lump forming in my throat before looking at Valen . ¡± I need to go . Can you take Ava back to the Hotel for me ? ¡± ¡± Do you want me toe with you ? ¡± I shake my head . ¡± No , Zoe and Macey will meet there , but can you pick up Vrian ? ¡± ¡± Of course , ¡± Valen looks over my shoulder . ¡± Ava ! ¡± she sticks her head out the window and looks at him . 11 ¡± You¡¯reing with me , he tells her , and she looks at me . I nod to her , and she climbs out of the car . Turning back to Valen , he kisses the side of my mouth . ¡± Ring me if you need me toe over , ¡± h e says , and I nod . Unable t o form words right now ,swallowing down my worry , I suck in a deep breath before turning and back to my car and climbing in . I don¡¯t even remember the drive to the hospital , I was on autopilot as worry ate me , praying for some miracle that she would be alright , yet the Doctor wouldn¡¯t have called if she was . No news is good news . News always means something to worry about . Pulling up at the pack hospital , Macey rushed toward the front door , and I called out to her . She stops and turns , concern etched into her face , her eyes blurring with tears . Reaching her , Zoe pulls into the car park , zooming past us and into a vacant parking spot . She jumps out still in her pajamas and ms the door . Zoe looked like crap and ran over her to us , looking somewhat pained . But still , she came . ¡± Emily ? ¡± she asks , hitting her key fob and locking her r . ¡± I just got here , ¡± I tell her , and she nods before we all walk toward the front doors . We walk to the lift , catching to the correct floor . ¡± Sort out the council stuff ? ¡± Zoe asks , straightening her pajamas like it would somehow make her look more presentable . Macey pulls a hair tie off her wrist , pulling Zoe¡¯s hair into a bun on her head and tying it . ¡± Yep , I challenged my father for my title , ¡± I tell them as the door opens to our level . ¡± You what ? ¡± Macey asks , yet my eyes were on the room I knew was Emily¡¯s . Doctors were rushing in and out everywhere . We pick up our pace . Walking into the room , the doctors looked like they were getting ready to run her somewhere . The Doctor noticing me , walks over to me , his notepad in hand , and he tucks his pen behind his ear . ¡± Luna , I¡¯m Doctor Porter , ¡± he says with a grim smile offering me his hand before his eyes darted to Zoe and Macey . He offers his hand to them . ¡± You are ? ¡± ¡± Family , ¡± they both say simultaneously . The Doctor¡¯s brows pinch , making a deep crease between his eyes , but he turns his attention back to me . The Doctor sighed , pulled his sses from his face , and rubbed his eyes before looking over at Emily , ¡± As you know , Emily has been having trouble fighting off the infection , and we had to remove her leg , ¡± I nod , having already known that . I nced at Emily and swallowed nervously , watching as nurses fussed over her , unplugging machines . Doc pulls the pen from behind his ear and passes the notepad to me . I nce at it before looking ¡± We need to take Emily back in for surgery , ¡± he says slowly , letting that sink in . ¡± But she will be alright ? ¡± Zoe says , and I look at her . Her lips quivered , and the Doctor smiled sadly before turning back to me . ¡± There is a chance she won¡¯t survive the surgery , the infection spread , and her other leg has turned gangrenous . This is a DNR . We need to know 11 what your wishes are , ¡® ¡± What¡¯s that ? ¡± Zoe asks . ¡± Do not resuscitate , ¡± Macey tells her , and Zoe makes a strangled noise like a whimper . I nced down at the paperwork in my hand . ¡± You want my permission to let her die ? ¡± I ask , shaking my head . ¡± Luna , you need to think o of the future , ¡± I shake my head . ¡± I am . Emily has a son to live for . The answer is no . Do the surgery . She will pull through , ¡± I tell him , and he sighs and reluctantly nods his head taking the clipboard back from me . ¡± Luna ? ¡± Doctor Porter says . ¡± No , she will pull through , ¡± I look over at Emily with tubes hanging out of her , she can live without legs , and she would pull through . I had to believe that . I had to hang onto that . We are ushered out while she is prepped for surgery and taken away . W e waited hours in the corridors for any news about Emily . All other issues suddenly seemed small inparison . Macey paced frantically , and I was surprised she didn¡¯t run track into the floor . Zoe stared off nkly , biting her fingernails , a terrible nervous habit she had , but I let her go . While I sat numb to everything going on around us . After what felt like eons , the Doctor came down the corridor , and we all jumped to our feet . He held his hands out , and we waited to hear what he had to say . ¡± She is stable , they are moving to one of the wards soon , but the infection is moving rapidly throughout her body and putting pressure on her heart . We will be running more tests overnight , but she is a fighter , ¡± Doctor Porter tells us , and I let a breath o f relief . ¡± Can we see her ? ¡± I ask and he nods . ¡± Yes , just let them get her settled first , she is not responsive , as you know , and I don¡¯t see that changing any time soon , but for now , she is stable . I will have a nursee get you when you go in , ¡± he tells us , and we all nod . Macey grips both of us , tugging us to her . ¡± Thank the Goddess , ¡± Macey whispers , squeezing us both tight . Chapter 88 Chapter 88 We got to see Emily and sat with her for a while. We all sat with her for about an hour. Tubes hung out of her nose and mouth, her arms covered in different lines. The room smelt heavily of antiseptic, and I could even smell the infection running through her veins, and smell the antibiotic drips hooked up to her. Emily did not deserve this; nobody did. Looking down at her, she looked so frail, her skin pale, and I found it hard not to break down. Emily was always so bubbling and a chatterbox. Seeing her like this was heartbreaking. I prayed she woke up soon, prayed she would pull through this. I would even drink her terrible coffee. God, I wished I could be drinking that horrible coffee. I wouldn¡¯t evenin if it meant she woulde back to us. We weren¡¯t sure if she could hear us , but eventually , Zoe had to leave to help ¡± Marcus and Macey wanted to go home and check on Taylor . Sitting next to Emily , I held her hand , rubbing circles into the back of her hand . ¡± You hold on , Em . Benny needs you , ¡± I told her . Kissing her hand , I tucked her nkets around her and reluctantly left . I t was dark as I climbed into my car . It was the middle of the night , and I listened to the radio as I headed toward the oldmune and to Emily¡¯s caravan on the way home . I was mentally and physically drained , and all I wanted to do was go home , see Vrian and crawl into bed beside my mate . Themune was all mud and puddles , the rough terrain a little slippery since the storm , yet I managed to navigate through to the back where Emily¡¯s caravan was . Pulling up beside it , I got out . Using the key Officer Derrick gave me not long after she went missing , I unlocked the flimsy door . I stepped inside the tiny little ce she shared with her son . Toys and stuffed bears sat on the bed they shared , a small Tv perched in the corner , and the walls were littered with Ben¡¯s artwork . This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. I saw two jars of her special made coffee and chuckled . I see a blue duffle bag hanging on a hook o n the wall . I grab the bag , looking for clothes with her son¡¯s scent on them before carefully bagging them , making sure not to taint them with my scent and hoping it would give Emilyfort . I tidied up a little before finding a picture of her and Ben taped to her fridge , both smiling as they stood out the front of the school . He was 9 years old , and her entire life , he was her world , and she was a good mum , quirky , but that¡¯s what everyone loved about her , and no one loved her more than her son . Emily worked her ass off , and her only dream was that her son would grow up and be part of a pack and have the opportunities the other pack kids had one day . We all wished that our kids would be a part of something bigger than us . That they would achieve more than us . It is what most parents dream of for their kids . To give them more , watch them grow and seed , knowing we got at least one thing right . Grabbing the picture , I put it in the bag for her when my phone starts ringing in my pocket . Valen¡¯s name pops up on the screen . ¡± Where are you ? ¡± he says , his voice frantic , and his fear suddenly smashed m e through the bond . ¡± At Emily¡¯s ce , grabbing a few things for her room , I¡¯m hoping something with Ben¡¯s scent will help her hold on , ¡± I tell him . ¡± Head home now ! A forsaken got past the borders , the border patrol has been chasing it for an hour , it keeps going to themune , get out now Everly , ¡± he orders . ¡± What ? ¡± I shriek , looking around nervously and at the open door to the caravan . ¡± I am sending men to your location . Get out now ! ¡± he says , and I hurry to grab the bag . I rush out the door and lock it before running to my car . I chuck the bag onto the passenger seat and start my car . Looked around into the darkness of the night nervously . ¡± Marcus is on his way ! ¡± I hear Valen say a s I put the car in reverse . The car bes stuck in the mud . The tires spin , yet the truck only groans as the engines revs , spraying mud everywhere and up the side of my truck . ¡± Everly ? ¡± ¡± I¡¯m stuck , ¡± I tell Valen , grabbing the phone . My headlights light up the forest surrounding themune . My breathing bes louder as panic sets in . ¡± Hold on , I am on my way , ¡± Valen says , and I nce at the phone that was on the loudspeaker , sitting on the passenger seat . ¡± What about Vrian ? ¡± I asked , not wanting my son anywhere near here if a forsaken is on the loose . ¡± Tatum will watch him till my father gets here , ¡± Valen says , hanging up . I try to drive forward , but the back wheels just spin , making a mess and the hole deeper . ¡± Fuck ! ¡± I curse . Just my luck ! What is the saying it happens in threes ? Well , I hope this is thest of my bad luck today . Themune was eerily quiet , and I cracked my window just a little to hear the sounds of howls and wolves in the forest . I stared out the windshield . My heart raced , waiting for Marcus or Valen to get here . I refused to get out of the car . I had watched one too many horror movies and knew that was a bad idea . ¡± You okay ? ¡± Valen says through the mindlink , and I could feel him getting closer but still a fair way out . ¡± Yes , fine , just a little freaked out , ¡± this ce was creepy , and I don¡¯t know how Emily lived out here . Yet she loved her little spot . ¡± I will be there soon , just keep talking to me , ¡± Valen says . I exined about Emily , not that he didn¡¯t already know he had been ringing me all night checking in . But rambling was better than panicking when I saw a wolf run out of the treeline , two border patrols chasing after it , and my eyes widened as I saw them tear into the wolf . The wolf turned and beelined straight toward my car . Only it diverted toward the caravan at thest second , wing at the walls before snarls sent it running again . It seemed too small for a normal forsaken and It tried to run back toward the treeline to escape , terrified . I watched . ¡± Everly ? ¡± Valen says as I watch the two border patrols rip into it . Its howls are horrifying to hear when it is flung across the dirt and suddenly shifts or tries to . My heart lurches in my chest as I see the figure get to its feet . Semi shifted , its body still covered in fur , its limbs were deformed until it looked at me , and I instantly recognized that face , it was the only recognizable trait he had . He looked like most forsaken until he shifted only smaller . My heart nearly stopped , and I don¡¯t even remember opening the car door as I saw one of the patrols go to rip into him . His petrified eyes , so much like his mother¡¯s widened as I ran toward them . ¡± No ! ¡± I screamed . The sound that left me was more of a strangled wail as I screamed out to them . One of them tackles him , tearing into his neck and shoulder before jumping back and looking at me , running toward them , waving my arms frantically . ¡± Please , God , no ! ¡± I cried , skidding on the ground as I fell to my knees next to his body . The border patrol tried to shove me back , but my ws slipped for my . fingertips and shed at them , an angry growl escaping me before grabbing him . Sobs wracked my entire body as I smoothed back his hair , looking at what had be of him . He was deformed , and it shouldn¡¯t be possible . How was it possible he was just a boy ? He had no wolf yet . One of the patrols shifted back and reached for me . ¡± Get a fucking ambnce now , ¡± I screamed , clutching onto him and protecting him from the patrols . ¡± He is a forsaken , ¡± the guard says . I shake my head , and his eyes flutter open , bloodshot and rabid , but I hold him tighter as he thrashes , snarling and growling , trying to attack me but I knew this boy , this wasn¡¯t him . Someone had done something horrific to him but that wasn¡¯t who he was . His wounds were horrific , and he eventually passed out in m y arms . His slow heartbeat was the only indicator that he was still alive . ¡± Call for help ! ¡± I wanted as tears streamed down my face . ¡± Luna ? ¡± the young patrolmen questioned . ¡± He isn¡¯t forsaken . He is a fucking child ! ¡± I screamed , baring my canines at them as they slipped from my gums . I hear the mind link open as the border patrol orders for an ambnce . ¡± It¡¯s okay , it¡¯s okay , help is on the way , ¡± I whisper to him . ¡± Luna , ¡± the patrolman says , grabbing my arm , but I shake him off . ¡± Don¡¯t touch me , ¡± I snapped . ¡± He is dangerous , ¡± he tried to reason , but I didn¡¯t care . I had known this boy since h e was in diapers and watched him grow . I didn¡¯t care how dangerous he was , he was family , part of my vige . ¡± He is not dangerous . He was trying toe home , trying toe home to his mother , ¡± I growled at them . ¡± Hang on , Ben , hang on for me , ¡± I whisper , clutching him closer while my hand pressed against his gaping wound holding it shut , trying to stem the bleeding from his shoulder . Hearing a car , headlights light up the clearing and I see Valen jump out of his car frantically . He raced toward me and I could hear sirens in the distance on their way here . ¡± Everly ? ¡± Valen screamed at me fearfully because I was so close to the mutated wolf . ¡± It¡¯s Ben , it¡¯s Emily¡¯s son , ¡± I choked out , turning my attention back to the boy in m y arms or half boy . Valen grabs my arms trying to pull me away but I shove him off . ¡± Nobody touches him , ¡± I snarled at him . I would not allow them to kill him , I don¡¯t care how dangerous he is . > ¡± Everly ! ¡± He snarled . ¡± Tell them to stand down , ¡± I growled and Valen growled looking at them and nodded for them to back off . Chapter 89: A week Later Chapter 89: A week Later Ben was now in hospital, the Doctors had no idea how he was able to shift. But it was bing clearer that someone was experimenting on not only the forsaken but also those that were kidnapped from the City. This mystery facility that Emily spoke of was now the biggest target on the City¡®s radar. We needed to find it and put a stop to it. Ben was not doing well, he had turned savage and everyday I had been checking on him and waiting around until the hospital or Valen would force me home. He was alive but still in a semi deformed wolf state, he was mostly unresponsive just like Emily and none of the Doctor¡®s knew how to help him or reverse what was done. One thing was clear though, Ben was made into a forsaken. His little body ravaged with infections, his heart had be erged and, the few times he had woken he had tried to attack staff which now left him strapped to a bed like a mental patient. Looking down at Ben h e had a muzzle on. Once a sweet boy now made into some science experiment and it broke my heart seeing him like this. The onlyfort I had was that he shared a room with Emily. Her state had not improved either, and the bizarre events were beginning to take a toll on everyone in the city. People were scared, and they should be. Only a monster could do this to a child. Hearing the door open I look up to see Kalen step inside the room. He had been a great help recently, Valen was busy with Pack business and I had spent most of time here or at m y hotel, leaving Kalen to watch over Vrian. However I was not expecting him to show up here. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. ncing at the time I see it was an hour before school pick up, I was about to head over to the school to pick him up. I told Kalen I would today knowing he needed a break so I was surprised when he stepped into the hospital room. Kalen nces down at Ben brushing his hair from his face. Ben doesn¡¯t wake but the entire city had heard and was horrified despite him being rogue when they learned what had be of him. ¡°Bloody terrible,¡± Kalen says, smiling sadly. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± I asked him and Kalen held a piece of paper out to me and I took it. Noticing the emblem on it for the city council. ¡°I pulled a few strings and called in some favors, you got your day to be heard, your petition will be heard,¡± Kalen says. ¡°Wait, how? I needed 4 signatures,¡± I told him. Kalen smiles and I nce at the paperwork to see Kalen had signed and a man¡¯s name I did not recognize. I look at him questionably. ¡°I found a loophole, it said you needed four Alphas signatures, nothing stating they couldn¡®t b e from previous Alphas,¡± Kalen says with a sly smile on his face. I nced down at the paperwork to see I had a date and time allotted to be heard by founding council members. One week to prepare. Tears burned my vision as I looked back at him. ¡°Does Valen know?¡± I ask him and Kalen shakes his head. They were barely talking still unless i t had something to do with Vrian. Valen is still upset with his father. ¡°Thank you,¡± I tell him and Kalen nods before looking at Emily. ¡°Any news on how they are doing?¡± He asks but I shake my head. ¡°No, the Doctor is due to do his rounds soon, but I need to pick up, Vrian.¡± ¡°I will wait until the Doctor gets here,¡± Kalen tells me, taking a seat in one of the ufortable blue chairs. ¡°Are you sure, the Doctor will ring me,¡± I tell him. ¡°Positive, besides I have nothing better to do,¡± Kalen tells me. He looked lonely, and I could see this feud with Valen was really starting to take a toll on him, he used to be so involved in Valens life so it must be hard now that Valen is shutting him out. Walking over to him, leaning down and giving him a hug, and pecking his cheek not expecting him to grab a hold of me. He hugged me tight and it felt good to be hugged by a father figure, despite his wrong doings Valen didn¡®t realize how lucky he was to have a father so supportive of him. ¡°Make Vrie proud, I know you will. Give ¡®em hell,¡± Kalen whispered to me. With a nod and peck on the cheek, I quickly left heading to the Hotel to pick up Ava on the way to the school. I had hardly seen her and she wanted to talk to me about something so she wasing over home for dinner tonight and I told her I would pick her up when doing the school run. My thoughts were guedtely and I had trouble keeping my thoughts straight, and now I had to worry about the uing council meeting, for the first time all week I had some hope. Pulling up at the Hotel, I messaged Ava and waited in the parking lot. Staring up at my Hotel, I felt like I had neglected ittely. With so much going on I hardly spent any time here and when I had a chance I was just exhausted. Although I knew Zoe and Macey had everything handled or would ring if something went wrong. Ava took a few minutes before she appeareding out of the restaurant doors, her bag slung over her shoulder and she was wearing one of our waitress uniforms, she wanted to help and when we were short of staff she asked Macey if she could. She seemed to like it and had been pitching in wherever she was needed. Opening the car door, she threw her bag over onto the backseat before buckling up. ¡°Any news?¡± she asked as I started the car before pulling out and heading toward the school. ¡°No, still the same,¡± I tell her and she nods, chewing her nails. She looked nervous and I nced at her when she remained silent for bit. ¡°What is it?¡± I asked her. ¡°Mum rang me, she said Kalen got your petition pushed through,¡± she said nervously and I sighed. ¡°Let me guess she wants me to pull the petition, not happening,¡± I tell her. ¡°She also asked that you rescind the challenge,¡± Ava tells me. ¡°Also not happening, ¡°I tell her and she nods looking out the window. ¡°Are you nervous?¡± she asked me but I shook my head. ¡°Nope, years of pent up aggression, it will be good to beat something, or someone, though I wish it wasn¡®t dad,¡± I chuckled, though that was a lie. I didn¡®t want toe to this, however I was more than ready for it, Valen had been helping trainte at night when I was up to it, not that I was worried, I was taught by the best and you don¡®t suddenly forget. I knew I could handle myself although I was a little nervous since my wolf wasn¡®t as big, I had t o remember to shift soon. Valen had been pestering me about it, he said I had to train in wolf form yet I nev er had the time and I couldn¡®t exactly shift at home, and train. Hand to hand I would be fine, yet in wolf fo rm I wasn¡®t sure how I would fair honestly. And training in our living room wasn¡®t exactly a good idea in wolf form. That might scare Vrian but I knew h e would force me sooner orter. Probably sooner when he finds out I have the council meeting and two days after that is the next full moon and the challenge against my father. So much going on and so little time. Pulling up out front of the school we waited for the bell to ring. I checked my emails while Ava stared off out the window. ncing at her I could tell she wanted to say something and her silence was starting to bother me. ¡°What is it? Spill, has this got something to do with what you wanted to speak to me about?¡± I asked her, ¡°Kind of,¡± She doesn¡¯t borate and I put my phone down to give her my attention. ¡°Just say it, I won¡®t get angry,¡± I tell her. I could never be angry with Ava, she was my little sister, despite everything she was my sister. ¡°Nothing, it¡®s just that being at the Hotel and hearing the stories, what everyone puts up with, what you put up with, I should havee with you,¡± she says wiping a stray tear. ¡°I¡®m sorry, I should have done more,¡± she said her lip quivering as she peered back out the window. ¡°You have nothing to be sorry for, Ava. You didn¡¯t do this, I wouldn¡¯t have let you anyway, you were fifteen, what could you have done?¡± I asked her. ¡°Been there, I should have been there,¡± she choked out. I shake my head. ¡°I¡¯m d you weren¡®t, and everything turned out alright. I am alright, Vrian is alright, and you¡¯re here now,¡± I tell her and she nods. ¡°Mum tried, you know, her and dad fought constantly for weeks, but you know how dad is,¡± I sigh and nodded and the bell me nce at the school. ¡°She still could have called, it is not like I was hiding,¡± I tell her. ¡°Dad forbade her to go anywhere without her guards or him, same with me. Bloody Nixon ruined everything,¡± Ava says and my brows furrow. ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked. ¡°The debt, and I am pretty sure that is who dad was nning for you to marry, though I didn¡®t know about that part though until the other day, but it makes sense to me now,¡± ¡°What debt?¡± I asked shocked. Ava shrugs. ¡°It¡®s why he wanted me to marry Valen, if I did. I would control half of Valen¡®s assets, Dad wanted Valen to enter into a treaty with our pack. Nixon has been threatening to go to war if his debt wasn¡®t cleare would back off.¡± ¡°How much does dad owe?¡± I asked. ¡°I¡®m not sure, but they had some original deal, which now I am assuming was you, it is the only thing that make ¡°Nixon has a son?¡± I asked her. ¡°Yes, he around Valen¡®s age, his name is Carter, absolute asshole,¡± ¡°Howe I have never heard of him before?¡± ¡°Nixon hasn¡®t handed the pack down yet, Dad tried to marry me off to him at first, but Carter and I don¡®t get along the man is a pig,¡± ¡°So dad tried to get you to marry Valen?¡± ¡°Yes, told me he had to find the money to pay back the debt he owes Nixon,¡± ¡°And if he can¡®t?¡± ¡°Nixon gets our packnds, the pack is bankrupt Everly, it runs off Nixon¡¯s finances,¡± Ava exins. Which would exin why dad backed Nixon over the petition. Yet what does Nixon get out of Rogues remaining Rogue? Chapter 90 Chapter 90 Alpha¡¯s Regret-My Luna Has A Son Chapter 90 Having Ava over for dinner gave me much to think about. She never said anything in front of Valen, so I had been waiting patiently for her to leave When Tatum picked her up to run her back to the hotel, I wanted to ask Valen about Nixon¡¯s son, ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Vrian was now in bed, and i groaned when I saw Valen walking out of the hall in just a pair o f shorts. He started moving the furniture in the living room, pushing it against the windows. Putting the last few dishes in the dishwasher, I washed my hands before wandering over to him. He points to the couch, where he sets some yoga pants and my sports bra. ¡°Can¡¯t we have at least one night off?¡± I asked him. His only answer was him moving thest piece of furniture out of the way. I rolled my eyes. I was tired enough and bloody hot. Thest thing I wanted to do was training in the living room and be hot and sweaty. I tried to sneak off to shower, yet Valen wasn¡¯t having that. ¡°Don¡®t even think about it?¡± Valen growls, and I take off running for the room. I shoved the door open and had nearly escaped when his arms wrapped around my waist, tugging me back. ¡°Nice try,¡± He says, turning me and walking me back toward the living room. ¡°We can have one night off, please. Besides, I want to talk to you, not bloody fight you,¡± I whine. ¡°We can do both, multitask,¡± he says, and I groan, turning to dead weight in his arms. Valenughs and continues to drag me toward the living room; I grip the door jam on the bathroom, not wanting to train. ¡°Everly,¡± heughs, prying my fingers off the door. ¡°You wanted to challenge your father; therefore, you train, or I kill him, which is it?¡± ¡°Nope, I am too tired,¡± I tell him. ¡°So am I, but you¡®re training,¡± ¡°Can I bribe you with sexual favors?¡± ¡°Hmm, I¡®m listening? What sort of sexual favors?¡± ¡°The sort where I can sleep and not have to do anything,¡± I tell him. ¡°Wait, you want to bribe me with sex, but I gotta do the work?¡± he chuckles. ¡°What about an IOU?¡± I ask. ¡°Na, I will pass. I will be fucking you anyway; I was more thinking you could suck my dick, but since you want to have vani sex, I would rather train,¡± Valen says. ¡°Not Vani, I was more thinking old man style,¡± I tell him while he tries to get me to stand, but I go all floppy ¡°Old man style?¡± he asks ¡°Yeah, where wey on our sides so i can nap,¡± Iugh. ¡°Not happening, now get your ass up and help me drag the mats out. He says, dropping me on my litt beside the TV. ¡°Run, and I will drag you back,¡± he says while walking off to his little Gym at the back of the penthouse ¡°Everly!¡± he calls out. ¡°Yeah, hold your horses. I am bloodying,¡± I growl before stalking after him. Valenes out with a rolled-up blue mat as I pass him in the hall. ¡°Grab the other one,¡± he says. I retrieve the other dragging it down the narrow hallway to the living room. Valen was unrolling the other one before he came over and helped me undo the strap that held it together. He unrolled it, and that was already enough exercise for me. ¡°Everly, hurry up,¡± Valen says when I go toy on the couch. I roll my eyes but snatch up my clothes and quickly run into the bathroom to slip them on before returning to the mats. ¡°Do you know a-¡± The moment I step on it, I am thrown on my back when he sweeps my feet out from under me. Valenughs while I re up at him. He offers me his hand, and I growl at him, pping his hand away and getting to my feet. ¡°As I was saying do you know Nixon¡®s son, his name is Carter?¡± I ask him. ¡°Why are you asking about him?¡± Valen asks while taking his stance. I mirror him waiting for him to attack. We circle each other looking for an opening. ¡°Something Ava said to me,¡± I told him. ¡°What did she say?¡± he asks, swinging at me, but I duck out of the way, stepping to the side before punching him in the ribs. Valen was bigger, a lot bigger, but I was quicker. His foot connects with my thigh a few momentster when he recovers. ¡°You didn¡¯t answer,¡± Valen grunts as he blocks me and pins me to the damn floor. I lift my hips, trying to throw him off. ¡°I don¡®t want to say because it may piss you off,¡± I tell him, trying to get an advantage over him, but I couldn¡®t be bothered, and he knew it. ¡°Come on, it¡®s easy. I have seen you get out of this one,¡± Valen growls at me, but I give up, dropping back on the floor. It was too damn hot for this crap. ¡°Can you turn the damn AC on at least,¡± I snapped at him. He growls, pushing off my wrists before moving toward the panel on the wall and fiddling with the ducted AC. ¡°Better? Now, why are you asking about Carter for?¡± I chew my lip while he motions for me to get back to my feet, but i refuse and justy there on the cool mat that was sticking to my back with how much I was sweating. ¡°Everly, up now.¡± I shake my head. Valen growls, reaching down to grab my wrist and haul me to my feet, but as soon as he gets close enough and bends down to grab my hips, 1 turn on my side and kick his legs out from under him. Hends on his ass and side. Iugh but remain where I am while he rubs his hip hended on. ¡°Ava told me Carter was who I was supposed to be married off to,¡± I tell Valen. He sits up abruptly, looking down at me. ¡°And you are only just telling me this now?¡± he growls; I shrug. ¡°So you do know him?¡± ¡°Of course, I know him. We are the same age, I saw him a few times at meetings, but I wasn¡¯t aware he was back in the city,¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°He left after high school. Been years since I saw himst, and he went looking for his mother, ¡± Valen tells me. ¡°His mother? Wait, Nixon¡¯s mate isn¡¯t his mother?¡± Valen shakes his head. ¡°No, Carter¡¯s mother was a forsaken, and the woman you see with Nixon isn¡®t his real mate. H e took her as a mate; she was his mistress to his first wife.¡± ¡°Wait, if Carter¡¯s mother is forsaken, why did he go looking for her?¡± ¡°She wasn¡¯t always a forsaken, but she was one of the forsaken we kept an eye on. When Nixon met Leah, she was an Omega, and he was already married. She had Carter and Nixon took him. She stayed in the city for a while before Nixon marked his mistress after Leah killed his wife.¡± ¡°Leah killed his wife?¡± Valen nods. ¡°Nixon¡®s first wife was an arranged marriage. He never marked her. She found out about Leah and attacked her. Leah stabbed her in self¨Cdefense,¡± Valen says, wiping a hand down his face. ¡°He chose his mistress over her still, and it sent her over the edge, and she left the city. Carter went looking for her not long after graduation. He wanted to find his real mother, only when h e did she was a forsaken, she attacked him and bit him.¡± ¡°And he lived?¡± I asked. ¡°Yes, he is an Alpha, plus she was his mother. We don¡®t know why that made a difference, but h e was sick for a bit. Dad said he was never the same though afterward, then he snapped¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°You think I am a savage? Carter was ced in a mental hospital after he killed 8 of his pack members So, I am surprised his father brought him back to the city, he may have survived bring attacked by his mother, but the poison still had some effect on him. He is unhinged,¡± Valen exins * ¡°Well, Ava said she met him, and he was a pig Why would my father agree to marry me off to him then, knowing that? Seems extreme to marry your daughter off over a debt, especially to a monster,¡± ¡°Your father¡®s pack is in debt?¡± Valen asked, bracing his arms on his knees. ¡°Yes, I think that is why dad has been helping Nixon. Ava said Nixon gets shadow packnds if he can¡®t cover the debt,¡± ¡°How much is the debt?¡± Valen asks. I shake my head. ¡°No, Idea, but enough that dad was willing to marry Ava off to you so she could hand over half your territory to Nixon,¡± I tell him. ¡°I¡¯m surprised your father would agree to that, ¡°Valen says, his brows pinching together. ¡°Yeah, but it exins why Nixon refused to sign my petition about the rogues now, especially since his only child was attacked by one, even if it was his fault,¡± I sighed. ¡°Carter isn¡¯t an only child; he is a twin. Carter has a twin sister, Aleesha,¡± Valen says. ¡°Ava never mentioned her,¡± I tell him. ¡°Probably because most don¡¯t know she exists. I only know because my father told me. Aleesha has been in aa since Carter found her; she lived with her mother. She wasn¡¯t a forsaken, though. That¡®s the odd thing. She was able to survive having a forsaken for a mother, but when Carter found them. Leah attacked him. Aleesha saved him, and her mother turned on her. She has been in aa since, like Emily, Carter managed to find a way home, but she never woke from thea, and Carter was sent away to the mental hospital.¡± my mind reeled at what he told me. This was so much information to take in. ¡°Wait, he only took Carter?¡± ¡°Yeah, Nixon has always been a piece of shit. Not only did his mate end up a forsaken, but he also ditched his daughter and took his son,¡± ¡°How doesn¡®t the City know about this?¡± ¡°Same as no one knew about my mother or you being John¡®s daughter, he made her disappear, ¡°Valen tells me. ¡°But I want to know why Carter is suddenly back in the city,¡± Valen says. ¡°Maybe he recovered,¡± I tell him. ¡°No, that is what I am finding weird. Why would Nixon risk it? Everyone knows about Carter killing his own people. If the City found out he was back, it would cause hysteria,¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Carter didn¡®t just kill his pack members. He ate them and hung their pelts on border fences. The man is sadistic,¡± Valen says. ¡°Yes, but he is also Nixon¡¯s only heir isn¡®t he, and he can¡¯t be too crazy, Ava met him, and she said he was a pig but never mentioned him acting crazy,¡± I tell him. ¡°Hmm, I think tomorrow I may have to go see for myself,¡± Valen says. ¡°You¡¯re going to go see Carter?¡± ¡°Yes, this is my City Everly, and I want to know why the fuck Nixon brought a serial killer back without informing me,¡± Valen says, getting to his feet. He offers me a hand, and I grab him, letting him pull me to my feet. He pauses for a second, his hand cupping my face. He smirks, his eyes shing ck. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I suppose I will be getting that BJ,¡± he purrs. ¡°Yeah, not likely,¡± I tell him, and he chuckles. ¡°We¡¯ll see,¡± he growls, ripping me toward him and wrapping his arms around my waist. ¡°You seem so sure of yourself,¡± I growl as he buries his face in my neck. He inhales deeply before purring. ¡°I am because you¡¯re going into heat,¡± he purrs, nipping at my neck. Chapter 91 Chapter 91 Alpha¡¯s Regret-My Luna Has A Son chapter 91 Valen jinxed me. He said I was going into heat, and I was. Here I was thinking I wasing down with the flu. If only it was that. Thest thing I wanted was to go into heat. It irked me, although Valen was enjoying himself as I woke like he was waiting for it to get so bad that it would wake me. His fingers trailing up and down my spine are what woke me, and the re of instant heat rolling over me from my head to my toes made me roll over to find him smiling seductively. H e traces his fingertips around my are, making me look down to find I had stripped off in my sleep; I groan when I lift my head to see my clothes dumped on the floor. Valenid their expectantly like he was just biding his time until I woke. ¡°Well, would you look at that? I was right?¡± Valen purred, his hand grips my arm and he dragged me on top of him. I tried to growl at him, yet the noise that left me was a moan. His skin makes mine tingle and cool as Iy on his chest. His fingers movedzily up my sides, and I bury my face in his neck. My tongue rolls over his mark. Yet coherent thought was bing harder to maintain as his scent became all-consuming and his gentle touch became electrifying. Teasing the heat that was trying to overwhelm me and threatening to set me on fire. Valen chuckles as I nip and lick his skin. I wanted to devour the man, climb inside him. I couldn¡¯t get enough of him, couldn¡¯t get close enough as my lips nipped and licked my way down his body before wrapping around his cock. Valenughed, I stared at him trailing my tongue up the side of his hard length, enjoying the taste of him on my tongue. Valen¡¯s eyes flickered ck, and he smirked. ¡°Looks like I don¡¯t have to worry about the IOU,¡± he chuckles, confusing me for a second as I took him in my mouth, his cock hits the back of my throat as I took him deeper before it registered. I peek up at him to find him smirking, and he ces his hands behind his head. I raise an eyebrow at him, and I feel my own eyes flicker before dragging my teeth up his length. Valen hisses, and his hand moves to my hair like he is worried I may bite it off, my tongue teasing the rim as I wrap my lips around the tip, my tongue swirling around it. He rxes and sighs. My lips suctioned around the tip before leaving his aroused flesh with an audible pop. ¡°Okay, okay, I won¡¯t tease,¡± Valen growls. I growl at him, and he puts his hands u pin surrender. My eyes narrow at him. Yet my lips returned to his cock. Valen groans as I take his entire length, loving the saltiness of his flesh on my tongue. His fingers tangle in my hair before he fists it pushing me down his cock. My hands grip his thighs, and my nails dig into his flesh as h e brutally thrusts into my mouth, making my eyes water, his cock hitting the back of my throat. My heat craves this rough side of him, relishing the way he forced more himself in my mouth. My heat soars, and my arousal coats the insides of my thighs before he rips me off him by my hair, pulling me up his body. His lips were demanding as they crashed against mine hungrily, bruisingly as he dominated my mouth. Valen groans, his other hand gripping my hip tightly, so tight I knew it would leave bruises as my skin pinched between his fingers, his grip on my hair growing tighter as my heat sucked him in, unleashing the beast that lived within him My hips roll against him, his hand gripping my hip moves to my ass, his fingers digging into my flesh. A whimper escapes my lips, turning to a mo¨¢n as he squeezes my ass before sitting u p with me on hisp and turning. His movements are too quick as he ms me on my back. Desire writhed through every cell as I stared up at his lust-filled demonic eyes. His canines jutting out between his parted lips. Valen¡¯s hands move up my thighs to my hips he grabs me, flipping me over onto my stomach and pulling my ass up and in the air. Sparks rushed over my flesh and my pussy clenched in anticipation as he sank his cock into my depths with one hard thrust, the heat ring to life with a renewed vigor, craving his touch and what it had to offer. His pelvis ps against my ass, and my walls clench around him like a vice. My legs tremble as he drags his cock out slowly, his fingers digging into my ass as he watches himself slipping out of my wet confines before mming back in. A moan escapes me as the top half of my body ttens against the bed, my fingers clenching the sheets as he drives himself into me. His hard length scrapes along my inner walls, building friction. My blood ignited like fire in my veins, making sparks rush everywhere with each harshl thrust making me cry out in pleasure. My walls clenched around hisrge thick length, my legs shaking and threatening to give out under me, sweat glistened on my skin. My entire body heated as I climbed higher, the feeling intense, my entire body tensing for the exhrating rush. Valen¡¯s grip tightens, his grip almost punishing, yet I relished the pain and pleasure, the line between blurring as I writhed beneath him pushing back against him forcing him in deeper and harder.. pping flesh and my cries filled the room and his harsh breathing. Valen leans over me, squeezing my breast before ripping me back, his hot chest presses against my back, his grip painful as he squeezed my breast while his used the other to sweep my hair to one side. I feel the sharp points of his teeth puncture my flesh, breaking the skin as he sank them in deeply, sending me blissfully over the edge. The fall was violent and tumultuous as my body convulsed in his arms, yet his pace never relented as he drove himself into me and impaled me on his cock. His canines slipped from my skin, and his tongue rolled over my heated flesh, making my toes curl as I rode out the waves o fmy climax. My pussy grips him when he pulls out of me. I gulp when I am shoved on my back. The intense, animalistic look on his face no doubt mirrored mine as he growled, shoving my thighs apart before sheathing himself inside me. The night slips by without anyway to measure time, my heat not abating until I sank my teeth into his flesh. Valen groans, his cock twitching deep inside me as my walls grip and squeeze him, his hot semen coats my insides, and I pull my teeth from his neck, breathing harshly as he drops on top of me. Both of us were sore and exhausted beyond anything I had felt before. Exhaustion smashes into me as my temperature drops, and Valen pulls out of me, rolling onto his back beside me.His breathing heavy as his chest rose and fell. My eyes flutter shut, and I weed sleep My brain tried to process the incessant noise that was invading the darkness of my sleep. My eyes felt like sandpaper as I tried to force them open, light filtered into the room through closed drapes, and I could just make out the sounds of cartoonsing from the living room. My phone started ringing again, the ringtone loud as it vibrated on the bedside table. Valen groans beside me, pping the bedside table, trying to shut the noise off. My body felt heavy as I dragged my body over the top of his to reach for my phone. It stops ringing the moment I grab it, and I roll back to my side of the bed. With sleepy eyes, I squint at the screen t o see 13 missed calls from Macey and 7 from Zoe and a heap of calls from the hospital. I was about to unlock my phone to call them back when it vibrated in my hand. Sitting up, instantly knowing something had to be wrong for there to be so many missed calls. C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. The fog lifts as fear seeps into me as I watch it ringing in my hand. Macey¡¯s face pops up on the screen and the ringtone res loudly. My hands shake and I swipe my thumb over the screen and answer it. ¡°Everly!¡± Macey gushes before she sighs heavily, her breathing shaky as I listen to her breathe on the other end. ¡°What is it?¡± I ask and Macey makes a choking noise. My entire body shakes when she doesn¡¯t answer straight away. ¡°Macey?¡± I aks my voice shaking with fear. ¡°You need to get here,¡± she says the words sounding so broken. The emotion in her voice as she stammered and cried into the phone had me jumping to my feet. I ran across the bed, jumping to the floor and grabbing whatever my handsnded on first. ¡°What happened?¡± I asked, frantically dragging a shirt over my head and cing the phone back to my ear. Macey cries, the sound crushing my soul and twisting my stomach as dread filled me. ¡°It¡¯s Ben,¡± she sobs, and my heart stutter and threatens to stop beating at her words. A cold sinking feeling settles over me. Valen sat up, looking for danger, and tears burned my eyes as I stared a t him, shellshocked. No! Not Ben! My heart and soul screams for the boy, for Emily. It would kill her if something happens to him. Valen gets to his feet looking rmed. ¡°Everly?¡± he asks. ¡°I have to go. I need to get to the hospital,¡± I tell him as the cold feeling washes over me, making me numb and turning my veins to ice. I felt like I was on autopilot as I chucked clothes on without seeing them. Valen chased me around the apartment as I grabbed my handbag and keys, only stopping when I noticed Vrian sitting at the coffee table watching cartoons and eating a bowl of cereal. He looks over at me, Ben was his friend. Ben was not much older than my son. ¡°Mum?¡± Vrian says as I stare at my son unblinkingly, a parent¡¯s worst fear is something happening to their child, the very life they created and made, the one worth living and fighting for. My voice was robotic. ¡°Everything is fine. Eat your breakfast,¡± I tell him. ¡°I will head over as soon as dad gets here,¡± Valen tells me gripping my arms, he shakes me a little and I blink rapidly turning to look at him. ¡°I have to get to him,¡± I gasp before turning on my heel and I run toward the door. Chapter 92 Chapter 92 Walking into the hospital, Macey and Zoe paced out the front of Emily¡¯s and Ben¡¯s room. Tears streaked both their faces, and Macey¡¯s eyes were puffy, so I knew whatever was going was terrible because Macey never cries, she never gets emotional, she kept her walls high and took on the world with a no fucks given attitude. My stomach plummets as I approach them. My entire body was shaking, the moment I got to them, the door opened, and the Doctor stepped out. A grim expression on his face. Macey instantly turned to face him, but Doc¡¯s shoulders dropped. ¡°Well?¡± she asks. Doc looked tired, and I couldn¡¯t imagine having his job, having to deliver bad news to families or parents. Bad news was exactly what we got when he spoke. ¡°As you know, Ben deteriorated overnight. His blood test when he first came in showed some hope, he wasn¡¯t a full-blown forsaken, but now he is, his body is shutting down, his organs are failing, he doesn¡¯t have much time left,¡± I swallow his words down and bite the inside of m y lip to stop the quiver. ¡°Emily?¡± I ask, clearing my throat. ¡°The only thing keeping her alive is the machines. Without them, she will die,¡± Doc answers. We already knew that, but I had some hope. Doc just killed that hope. ¡°Is he still conscious?¡± Zoe asks. ¡°He keepsing in and out. One minute he almost seems lucid the next, he is hurting himself or trying to attack the nurses,¡± Doc says. ¡°So what now?¡± I ask ¡°There is nothing else we can do, we did dialysis, but the infection is not just in his blood. It¡¯s i n his muscles, bones, everything, I¡¯m sorry, Luna, but now we just wait,¡± ¡°Wait for him to die?¡± I ask Doc smiles sadly and nods. I press my lips in a line and gulp before clearing my throat. Zoe sits heavily in the chair by the door. ¡°He¡¯s just a child,¡± she says, putting her head in her hands. Macey grips her shoulder, hugging her against her hip. ¡°Thank you for everything, Doc,¡± I tell him. ¡°You¡¯re more than wee to stay with him. I will send some chairs in for you all,¡± he says, wandering down the hall. I stare at the ceiling, willing the tears to go before pushing the door open and stepping inside. Macey follows me in, sitting beside him and grabbing his hand. Zoe enters but remains close to the wall as she stares, not knowing what to do. Doces back in with two extra chairs, and I sit between Emily¡¯s and Ben¡¯s bed, holding his hand and rubbing circles in the back of his hand. Hours pass, and Benes too, thrashing and snarling periodically. ¡°He didn¡¯t deserve this,¡± Macey says, gently brushing his fringe from his deformed face. She sniffles when Valen walks in. He nods to us before hugging Zoe, who was a mess at the back of the room. ¡°Marcus is on his way,¡± he tells her, and she nods. He kisses her forehead as she shakes, staring off vacantly, her eyes glued to Ben and Emily. Macey falls asleep for a while, and Zoe leaves to get coffee and update the hotel on their wellbeing. Zoe had been gone for about five minutes when the rms started sounding as the monitors went off. Macey sits upright in panic just as Ben starts thrashing, his heart rate increasing and blood streaming out of his ears and eyes. Nurses rush in, shutting everything off as Ben tries to breathe around the tube in his mouth; I squeeze his hand while Macey whispers to him. Ben¡¯s eyes open with a crazed gleam, yet I see him. See the boy he once was, the scared look beyond them. He tries to speak around the tube, and one of the nurses runs out of the room, unable to watch when he gasps. ¡°Mum,¡± he rasps, the sound barely audible, and Macey breaks, sobbing while clutching his hand. Just as Zoe walks in with the coffees, she shoves the tray at Valen before rushing over, gripping his legs, and rubbing them. ¡°Can¡¯t you give him something to help calm him?¡± Macey asked the Doctor, who lingered helplessly. ¡°We already have given him everything. Nothing works,¡± he murmurs, holding back his own tears. C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. Macey and the Doctor talked, but I couldn¡¯t stop staring at his wide eyes, unblinkingly looking back at me before I even thought of what I was doing or processed it; I undid his handcuff with the key that sat beside the bed. I let the guard rail down on the bed. His hand iled, grasping air before I climbed on the bed beside him. Ben snaps and snarls at me. Thrashing when I slid my arm under his body andy beside him, pulling his legs over myp, so he was sitting awkwardly on me. His head resting on my shoulder and my hand on his forehead so he couldn¡¯t turn his head to bite, not that he could do much with the tube in his mouth as he squirmed. Macey reaches over, holding out her hand for the key to do the other one. Doc protests, but I hand it to her, ignoring him. ¡°Luna, he is dangerous,¡± Doc says, and Valen goes to reach for me, but I pull away. ¡°No!¡± I tell Valen when he tries to pull me off the bed. ¡°Everly,¡± he whispers, watching Ben grip and w at my arm with his free hand. ¡°No, he is scared. Emily can¡¯t hold him, so I will do it for her, as she would for me,¡± I tell him, my voice breaking knowing she would. No matter the risk to herself, she was part of our vige, and when one falls, the rest pick up the ck. Macey undoes his other hand and moves, gripping my shoulder, and I readjust him on myp, turning my face into his hair and humming to him. Macey moves beside Valen, and he steps out of her way, she drags the little side table out of the way and drops the side rails on Emily¡¯s bed before walking around the other side. Doctors and nurses tried to stop her, but they were already dying. What did it matter if cords got tangled? Macey pushed Emily¡¯s bed flush against Ben¡¯s, who gasped for air. I stroke his hair before gripping his wrist and moving it to Emily¡¯s arm. He whimpers, clutching her forearm tightly, and calms. He stops thrashingpletely, he may be forsaken but he knows his mother¡¯s touch. ¡°She is right there, Ben, right here with you,¡± I whisper to him. ¡°She loves you so much.¡± tell him as his breathing slowly evened out. His blood-soaked the shirt I was wearing, which I realized was inside out. I stare up at the ceiling and just hold him. Macey rubbing his back, and Zoe crying while rubbing his legs in myp. The room falls silent, the only sound is his heart rate monitor, and I turn my head to look at Emily. All the things she wanted for her sone to mind, how she worked her ass off to provide for him, never turning down a shift, how she would even bring Ben to y with Vrian and Casey if she couldn¡¯t get a sitter. She wanted so much for him, and this wasn¡¯t it. I looked at Valen, who stood with a hand under his chin, worry etched into his face at how close I was to Ben. This boy was not a monster. He was a sweet boy. Emily¡¯s boy. I kiss Ben¡¯s forehead. I couldn¡¯t fix this. Our emergency fund couldn¡¯t bail them out, no cure would save him. Nothing we could do, but I could give her one thing. I let my ws slide from my fingertips before digging them into my palm. I let my blood pool i n my hand. Macey lifts her head, and her lips quiver when I move him, making sure his hand remains on Emily. I pulled his other hand from under him and sliced his palm. The moment I did, Valen reached over the bed and gripped my wrist to stop me. I stare at him. He looks at Ben and drops his head. He knew what I wanted. ¡°You¡¯re not doing it. His blood could make you sick,¡± Valen whispers. ¡°It¡¯s all she wanted, and he can¡¯t pledge, a blood link is the only way,¡± I tell him, and he looks down at Emily, who he was leaning over. He sighs. ¡°I¡¯ll do it,¡± he murmurs, gripping my wrist. He looks up at me, his eyes watching me. ¡°I¡¯ll do it,¡± he says, letting me go. Valen shes his palm with his ws, and I do the same to Ben¡¯s free hand thatys limp on my belly. He doesn¡¯t move or even flinch. Valen reaches over and grips his hand, and I stroke Ben¡¯s hair. ¡°I Alpha Valen, of the Nightshade pack-¡± his words cut off, and I notice Marcus, whose eyes were zed over as he stood behind Zoe, his arms wrapped around her waist. ¡°You sure?¡± Valen asks, and I see Marcus nod before Valen turns his gaze back to Ben. ¡°I Alpha Valen of the Nightshade pack, wee Ben Steele and dere him the new Beta of Nightshade Pack,¡± he murmurs. Marcus gasps as his title is stripped, and Zoe reaches up, cupping his cheek with her hand. It would only be temporary, but It would have stung Marcus. Suddenly the mind-link opens up, and our pack wees Beta Ben, bringing tears to my eyes. I didn¡¯t know whether or not he could hear them, but he would not die a rogue. Valen then does the same to Emily, and I feel her tether form. Fear coursed through me, knowing soon both their tethers would sever and it would be crippling, but we could grant this wish. Doc stabs a needle in Valen¡¯s arm as he stands back up. ¡°Precaution,¡± Doc murmurs to Valen, who nods. I swallow, knowing precisely what he risked for them, yet he did, so I didn¡¯t have to. Macey grabs Emily¡¯s hand and kisses it as we wait. About an hourter, Emily¡¯s machine starts beeping, and Doc checks it looking at me, and so does Macey as the nurses bring paddles near the bed like they were waiting for the time they would need them. Ben¡¯s breathing had slowed, and his heart rate became slower when I heard him gasp and stop, I clutch him tighter, whispering how much his mother loves him, how much we all loved him when his heart rate monitor tlined. The newly formed pack tether snapped and pain richotted through me, ripping at my heart and my stomach twisted. Valen clutched the bed gasping and sweating until it passed and I knew he was gone. Zoe sobs and Macey bawls, my entire body shaking as I held him. ¡°Luna, we can,¡± Doc starts to stay, and I stare up at the ceiling. ¡°Leave her, let her go. Let her be with her son,¡± I croak out. The nurses move around fussing with lines and tubes when Macey grips one of their arms. ¡°If I was in her ce, I wouldn¡¯t want to wake to my son gone,¡± Macey stammers, choked with emotion. Emily wouldn¡¯t want to be here. Ben was her whole world, just like I couldn¡¯t live without my son. ¡°Turn her machines off,¡± I ordered Doc. I don¡¯t care if they could restabilize her; I know Emily and life wouldn¡¯t be worth living stuck on life support without her son. She held on long enough. Nurses nodded, turning machines off while Doc pressed a stethoscope to Ben¡¯s chest, calling his time of death. Though we knew he was gone, his heart no longer beating, his blood pressure had bottomed out as blood leaked from his eyes, nose, and mouth. The nurses clean him up, and Macey pulls the beds apart. I sit up with him, letting the nurses remove his tubes and lines before Macey moves Emily over. Her body convulsed, and reflex had her gasping as Iy Ben beside her. Standing beside her, I brush her hair back while Macey kisses her hand before cupping it to her cheek. She thenys her hand on Ben¡¯s shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Emily. Ben is home,¡± I tell her while patting her hand. ¡°He is safe beside you,¡± I tell her as my tears drip on his little shoulder. I stroke her hair, leaning over to kiss her head. ¡°You got your wish. Ben was Beta to Nightshade. He is pack just like you. You can let go now. You don¡¯t need to hold on. We brought Ben home. He is safe with you now,¡± I choke, my voice trembling as her mouth opened, gasping but not actually breathing. Chapter 93: Valen POV Chapter 93: Valen POV My heart broke for Everly, Zoe, and Macey as they told Emily it was okay to go, that she didn¡¯t have to hold on any longer. Moments passed, and hushed whispers were all that could be heard as they tried to soothe their friend when she gasped onest time. I held my breath, waiting to see if it was a false rm yet, and praying it wasn¡¯t. She shouldn¡¯t suffer anymore, n o one deserves to suffer this fate. When Everly dropped her head on Ben¡¯s shoulder and sobbed, I felt Emily¡¯s pack link sever. My heart panged with pain, if only briefly, yet the pain, anguish, and despair that flooded Everly through the bond as she mourned her family broke my heart further. Marcus hugged Zoe close as she fell apart. Macey just stared vacantly ahead, sitting back down in her chair. The doctor checked her and nodded, calling time of death before saying he would leave to let them say their goodbyes. The girls tuck them in like they were saying goodnight and not goodbye, and the doctor comes back and tells Everly what would happen next. ¡°Come on,¡± Marcus whispers to Zoe, pulling her from the room, and Macey quickly follows, closing the door behind them. Everly kisses them both once again and stands upright. I watch as she swallows down the emotion that threatened to consume her, she tugs her shirt off, pulls it back on the right way, and cleans her face with some water from the sink basin. She washes away the tears that stained her face. I move toward her, wanting tofort her, but she pulls away, looking at me. I drop my hand. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but please don¡¯t touch me right now,¡± she whispers, her eyes softening as she stares at me. Yet I knew if I did, she would break. I got it, but the urge was still there, the bond calling me to my mate. I nod, letting her get herself together. She loved, lost, and mourned, and I was in awe of how she slipped back into business mode, shut down everything and forced her anguish back. Her determination returned, and she felt she had work to do. She broke if only briefly before picking herself up and dusting herself off, ready for battle again. I hated that she instinctively switched and shut down, a coping mechanism from years of taking on everything and everyone else¡¯s problems and emotions while ignoring her own. She had me, but Everly forced to be independent, endure, and never rely on anyone instinctively recoiled inside herself. She would deal, conquer then when alone break. But for now, she hadt o put on a front to do what needed to be done. It made me realize what sort of leader she is and what sort of Luna she would be. Unbreakable to the rest of the world, the rogues¡¯munities anchor despite the pressure of drowning herself. She took on the persona and got things done. The amount of impact she had with rogues and how much they looked up to her did not hit me until I stepped out the doors after her. Rogues lined the walls, heads bowed as she stepped out. I hear Everly gasp before she walks down the corridor, each one bowing as she passes. Her vige, that word suddenly took on a new meaning. What it represented. Everly, Zoe, and Macey were never rogue. The three of them brought hope to the rogues, and they rallied for their leaders, and Emily and Ben. A family built on love and respect. Everly grips my hand as I step beside her. And I give it a squeeze. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be strong, you know,¡± I whisper. ¡°Yeah, I do, for them,¡± she whispers back. Macey and Zoe waited by the exit doors, and Everly let me go. She walked toward them, they wrapped their arms around her waist. The rogues looked up to the girls, and Macey, despite being older and Zoe younger, both looked to Everly. She was the chief of the vige they built. She was their armor, and she wore it proudly. Ava stood outside the doors, looking lost as her sister stepped out with Zoe and Macey. The three girls had a bond, a sisterhood built on their blood, sweat and tears, and with undying, unconditional love. Ava, for so long, had a strained rtionship with her sister and knew she wasn¡¯t Everly¡¯s only sister now. I could see the pain in her eyes as she watched them. But like true Queens, they stopped, and Macey offered out her hand to Ava, who took it, letting out a shaky breath. Macey tosses an arm over her shoulder, tugging her into their circle. epting her as one of them.C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. I look at the overcast sky. Storm clouds roll across the horizon. The day was as gloomy as it was depressing. Yet as the rogues filed out after their chiefs, their honorary Lunas. I chuckled and smiled as Marcus stopped beside me. He leans his shoulder against mine, nodding his head toward them. My mother¡¯s words about Everly are so true and I now understood what she meant. ¡°Watch her,¡± and I do as she leads her people down to the parking lot. They stood in a circle, hands sped, the girls in the middle. Every rogue hade to say goodbye, no matter their state, some in their work uniforms, having stopped whatever they were doing and running when their family needed them, run to see them off. She called it her vige, but it wasn¡¯t a vige. They were a pack, and as Everly turned her face up to the sky and howled. Everyone followed in unison, saying their final goodbyes. They were never rogue. This is what a pack is. This is family and at the center stood their Alpha. Not by birth, but because she earned the right, she earned their respect and fought for them when no one else would, a true leader. Everly¡¯s determination was admirable, and the woman truly is remarkable. A chorus of howls filled the silence, followed by my own howls as they said goodbye. Mum would be so proud. I was proud. Everyone thinks she is just a lucky rogue, who an Alpha imed. Yet looking at her, I was the lucky one. I never imed her, I thought I did, yet a woman as strong as she couldn¡¯t be imed. She was the one that did the iming. She didn¡¯t need me; she had herself and the vige she built. She knows who she is, and she isn¡¯t afraid to be it. She will fight, and I know she will win, and I will love watching every second of it as she reims the city, changes it. As she makes mum proud. Chapter 94: Everly POV Chapter 94: Everly POV Four Days Later We held the funerals yesterday , and today I couldn¡¯t cope with work , so I started the mural at the homeless shelter .I designed the sign and sent it offst night to my manufacturer .So when I walked into work to find everything handled and for once the sky showed no sign of rain , I got a head start on the mural on either side of the door leading into the old school .I had two days until the council meeting , and two days after that , I had the challenge for my father¡¯s pack .I was a little nervous about exactly what it was I was getting myself into with his pack , especially if it was bankrupt like Ava believed . Yet if I could restore a hotel to its former glory , I had no doubts I could dig them out of the hole my father dug .I forgot how much I enjoy drawing and painting , though the old rendered brickwork was making it a bitch to stencil out the design with my paintbrush .I had done the background white like a canvas , though standing on adder while it was windy wasn¡¯t ideal . Hearing a car pull up along the road behind me , I nce over m y shoulder to see Valen¡¯s car .He hops out , walking over to me . "Everly , the wind is hectic today .Get down before you fall off , " Valen scolds ,ing over and holding thedder . I shake my head but climb down , unclipping the harness as I reach each step on thedder . "I have a harness , " I tell him , but he shakes his head . "Harness won¡¯t do much if that unhooks from up top .It¡¯s only hooked to the guttering .That¡¯s not the sturdiest thing , especially those old crumbling ones .It would be best if you had told me you were doing such a gigantic mural ; I would have had a cherry picker brought over .Don¡¯t use thedder .I will get one sent over tomorrow , " Valen scolds , and I shake my head . He had a point , though , and the site supervisor also gave me a lecture about the same thing , making me wonder if he called Valen . "The site supervisor called you , didn¡¯t he ? " I tell H Valen , and he smirks . "Of course , " he says , and I roll my eyes . "I thought you had your meeting today with your father over pack business ? " His eyes darken slightly , and he sighs . "I sent my ountant instead , " he says while bending down to help pick up my supplies . I pack them into a box and put them in the cleaning closet just inside the school doors . "You can¡¯t just avoid your father , " I tell him , following him out to his car . "Unless it has something to do about Vrian , I don¡¯t want to hear it , " Valen growls , opening the driver¡¯s door . "Valen , he is your father , and he is a wonderful dad , " I tell him . "He lied to me , ¡® " Valen states . I sigh , climbing into the car . "Your mother wouldn¡¯t want you to toss your father away .He fucked up , but he is trying to make up for it .The petition got pushed through by him .He drops everything he is doing whenever we need his help with Vrian . " I tell him , and he starts the car , nodding his head . We head to school to pick Vrian up .When the bell rang , he came running out excitedly , jumping up and down to show the painting he had done "Wow ! " Valen says , looking at it . Casey came over to show us her painting , which was covered with glitter and swirling scribble . Valerian , however , was all straight lines of paint that looked like he used a ruler to make sure he didn¡¯t go out of the lines . I smiled down at him , and he grabbed his father¡¯s hand as we crossed the road to the car . Once in the car , we headed home while listening to the radio talking about the uing council meeting . ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. My attention turned to the news reporter as her nasally voice spoke about a n uing war . "It appears war is brewing between Alpha Nixon and Alpha Valen .Alpha Nixon was spotted today leaving the council chambers in a rage after learning Alpha Valen¡¯s mate , Everly Summer¡¯s , the infamous disgraced daughter of Alpha John from Shadow Pack , petitioned to have thews involving the unfair treatment of rogues changed .Alpha Nixon refused to speak to the media today after h e was spotted in an argument with Alpha John just in the front of the council chambers before reversing into Alpha John¡¯s car .It appears tensions among the packs are high , and in the next few weeks , we will either see change within the city or war between packs" Valen turns the radio off , ncing at me , and I sigh . Great , the media was going to blow this right up , and if there wasn¡¯t a war , they would ensure one starts with the hysteria they would cause . "Would the City really go to war over mum¡¯s petition ? " Vrian asks , and Valen nces in the mirror at him . "Hopefully not , but unfortunately , people don¡¯t like change .Greed and entitlement start a lot of issues , " Valen tells him . "But Rogues have nothing .They aren¡¯t even allowed to own housing ? " Vrian says . "And that is why your mother is petitioning to have thews changed ." "...So , Alpha Nixon wants to take more from the rogues when they already have nothing .What¡¯s left to take ? " Vrian asks . "Their lives , that is all that¡¯s left , and people like Nixon think they deserve to y God and dictate how people should live and whatws they should live by , " I answered with a sigh . "But isn¡¯t your dad on his side ? " "He is on the wrong side , " I agreed . "Does that upset you ? " Vrian asks , and I look at him over my shoulder . "No , because that shows his character , not mine , " I tell him . "But you¡¯re his daughter ? " "Yes , that¡¯s true , but I am not my father o r my mother .I am my own person , just like you are your own person , " I tell him . "So I shouldn¡¯t be like you or dad when I a m older ? " he asks . "No.Strive to be better , surpass us .One day be a better Alpha than me , "Valen says . "What if I don¡¯t want to be an Alpha ? " Vrian asks . "Then I will find someone else to take over the pack , " "What if I want to be Luna like Mum ? " Vrian asks . "Then you will be Luna Vrian , " Valen chuckles . "Doesn¡¯t sound very cool , no offense , mum .I think I will stick with Alpha Vrian , " Vrian says , and Valen snickers . "What ? The Luna is more important than the Alpha , " Vrian says .. "Is that so ? " Valen asks . "Yep .The Alpha keeps the packs in line , the Luna keeps the Alpha in line , " Vrian shrugs , and I laugh , ncing at Valen . "You think this is funny ? Our son just de manned me , " Valen chuckles . "Alpha¡¯s , so sensitive , " I tell him , patting Valen¡¯s shoulder while shaking my head . We headed home , and on the way , I texted Kalen toe over for dinner . It was time these two had a chat . Kalen was trying , but Valen had to put in some effort on his end . Dinner was awkward , and Valen and Kalen only spoke about Vrian until Kalen helped Valen do the dishes while I sat on the couch with Vrian , watching some kid¡¯s show while I tried not to listen . Around 8 PM , Valen got a call and walked outside to take it before returning , saying he had to head out . Kalen also said he should head home since it was a school night . Valen was gone for hours , and eventually , Vrian went to bed after reading to him and tucking him .I heard m y phone ringing in the living room only after I closed the door . Walking out , I noticed the call was from Zoe .I answered it , thinking it was unusual for her to call so late . When I answered and heard her frantic voice , I knew instantly something was wrong and the sirens in the background made my heart thump in my chest . All the air was sucked from my lungs as her following words left her . "Everly , " she sobbed into the phone . "Zoe ? What is it ? " "Can you hear me ? " she asked . "Zoe ? " "It¡¯s gone , Everly .It¡¯s gone ! " she sobbed into the phone . "What¡¯s gone ? " "The hotel .It spread so fast .You need to get here , " she cried before the phone cut out . I tried calling her number again , but all I got was her voicemail .I instantly called Valen¡¯s number .. Valen POV my I stood awkwardly in the elevator with father . "So , where are you heading off to ? " he asked . Thanks to Everly , it was bad enough that I had to sit through an awkward dinner . Though I knew , she was only thinking about mine and my father¡¯s rtionship . Yet I couldn¡¯tin to Everly about m y problem , so I told him . "Going to see Dion The jeweler ? " he asked , and I nodded . "Wait .Are you proposing to Everly ? " "Why else would I be going to see him ? " "Well , it¡¯s about bloody time , " my father says , and I can¡¯t help the tug of my lips . I knew if he had his way , I would have married her the day I met her . "So the ring is ready .What sort of ring did you get her ? " "One of mum¡¯s rings .Vrian picked out the stone ."I tell him , and my father nods and nces away . He swallows . "So you are picking it up ? " "No , there is an issue , so I am stopping over there .Apparently , the engraver isn¡¯t working , " I tell him . The doors finally open , and I step out , heading for my car , wanting to get this over with .I pulled up out of the za walking to Dion¡¯s jewelers . He had called , saying there was something wrong with the engraver . What I wasn¡¯t expecting was for my father to follow me .He pulled up behind me . "What are you doing ? " "Coming to see if I can help ? " he says , though I know he was trying to spend more time with me . He was always extra clinging when I was upset with him , and this feud of ours hadsted weeks . Though I would be lying if I said I didn¡¯t enjoy hispany a little . We walked to the jewelers and knocked on the door . Diones over and unlocks it , locking it behind us and we follow him out to the back of his store . "What¡¯s wrong with it ? " I ask him . Dion shrugs , picking up a rag and wiping his forehead , which was covered in sweat from the lights in here . "No , idea .I¡¯ve been pulling the damn thing apart , but I am a jeweler , not a bloody technician , and the ring holder won¡¯t spin , " he grumbles . My father shrugs his jacket off before pulling a stool over and sitting in front of theser machine . They spent hours trying to fix it before deciding it needed some part . Dion then spent a few hours on eBay and various sites trying to find the part for the specific engraver he had , only to tell me shipment would take another two weeks on top of the time it would take for the stone to arrive . "What is with shipment these days ? " I growl . I was already impatient to get the ring back , let alone now adding more time . Dion shrugs apologetically .I sigh , knowing it isn¡¯t his fault when my father speaks . "I can go pick it up ? " he offers . "It¡¯s a four ¨C day drive , " I tell him , and he shrugs . "Better than waiting .When does the stone arrive ? " he asks Dion . "Hopefully , next week , they were able to ship it off on the next flight , so it¡¯s arriving early , " Dion says . Well , at least something good came of this the part "It¡¯s settled then .I will go pick up t and bring it back here , and you should have your ring earlier than expected " my father tells me . He looks down at Dion¡¯sputer , and Dion fills out something about picking it up . My father then jots down the address on a piece of paper . Leaving , my father followed me out , and w e walked back to the car . "You didn¡¯t have to pick it up .I know you are only sucking u p , " I tell him . "Is it working ? "he chuckled . "Kind of , " Iugh . We stand there awkwardly when my father hugs me . After I stood there for a second , I wrapped my arms around him . "I miss you , son ¡° he says , his voice cracking . I rub his back before he lets go and nods , racing to his car .He leaves before I get in my car . The moment I did , the mind ¨C link opened up , and Marcus ¡® voice was in my head . "Hey , what¡¯s up ? " "You need to get to Mountainview Hotel , " "Why ? " "It¡¯s not good , Valen .The whole ce is gone .It¡¯s just a shell , " ¡° I¡­.I " ¡°Excuse me ? " "Someone cut the water off and the power .We were trying to figure out what was going on when we heard an explosion in the kitchen , an hour after closing , and the entire ce went up , " "Fuck ! I¡¯m on my way , " I tell him . Hearing my phone ringing , I grab it from my jacket pocket . It was Everly . I was about to answer when I saw my father¡¯s care abruptly to a stop at the traffic lights before he turned the car around and drove back towards me on the opposite side of the road . He stops on the opposite side of the road just as I answer Everly¡¯s phone call . She was sobbing hysterically , and I told her I was on my way there when she said she was trying to get a hold of my father . He is with me . We are on our way , "I tell her before hanging up .Dad winds his window down , and I do the same ." ¡°Want me to take Vrian ? It¡¯s all over the radio , "he calls . "Head to the Hotel .Everly is on her way there with him , " I call back , and he nods before taking off . I rip U ¨C turn , following after him .. Chapter 95: Valen POV Chapter 95: Valen POV Pulling up at the Mountainview Hotel, fire trucks lined the front of the Hotel. Police and shing lights.It was a total fiasco.I could see Everly¡¯s truck and my father parked beside it and getting Vrian out of the car. While Macey stood by the car, my father was quick to get Vrian and waved to Zoe in question, who rushed over with Casey.She thanks him. Yet I couldn¡¯t see Everly anywhere. The entire building was on fire, mes spewing out the windows that burst from the extreme heat that could be felt from where I parked behind my father on the main road. People were running everywhere, and police and ambnces were also on the scene. I nce around, waving to Zoe, and jog over to her and Marcus. Marcus had a tablet in his hand and people lined the path, standing at the evacuation point as he finished checking names off. "Everyone is ounted for, the fire started in the kitchen, thankfully the rms tripped still from the backup batteries so no loss of life," Marcus tells me and I noticed the tablet was a list of who was in the hotel and where everyone checked off and ounted for but one. Ava was handing out bottled water and checking those Marcus marked off. "Where is Everly?" I ask. Seeing my father drive off with Casey and Vrian, he honks the horn and I nod to him.Zoe looks around before pointing between two firetrucks. "The other buildings?" I ask Macey as shees over. "Fine, it was contained in the main building.The apartments out the back and events rooms and storage sheds are fine, only the main hotel," she answers, and at least that was a relief. I nod ncing at Everly who stood in her pink and white cloud pajamas with her back to us. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Moving across thergewn, I head over to her. When I spoke to her she was hysterical, but now I felt nothing but blistering fiery anger, so hot it would give the inferno in front of us a run for its money.Yet the underlying feeling below it was pure devastation. This ce was as much her baby as Vrian was. This was hers. Coming up behind her, she stared at the mes eating away her vige, a vige she built.I gripped her shoulders,ing up behind her, but she just stared ahead.I didn¡¯t know what to say. There was nofort I could offer to make this right. "I¡¯ll rebuild, this is why we have insurance, this is why I have a failsafe, the main thing is no one is hurt, this ce can be restored, lives can¡¯t be reced," she says as I rest my chin on her shoulder and wrap my arms around her. "I¡¯m sorry, Love," I tell her and she nods once in acknowledgment of my words but says nothing else. Media and reporters started lining the streets behind us, murmurs could be heard, police taking statements. I wandered off, helping where I could and so did Everly, organizing buses to take everyone to my hotel that was staying here. Yet when the mes were gone, the ce was nothing but a husk of what once was. Everly watched thest fire truck leave, but the media lingered, taking anyst-minute scraps they could for their headlines. Bloody vultures. "Come on," I tell her, trying to lead her away, but she shakes her head and walks toward the building. I needed to get Vrian to school, so we would have toe back.Yet I had a feeling Everly wasn¡¯t leaving anytime soon. "They warned me," Everly said, staring up at what¡¯s left. The structure was sound, but the ce was gutted. Yet despite it all, the building still stood, the brickwork tainted ck, the render crumbling and the ce hollow. "This is because of the petition, because I fought for the rogues, for this city and this is how they repay me," she growls. "They won¡¯t stop, will they?" she asks, ncing a t me. I hang my head, knowing this would be the beginning. "What¡¯s next Valen? What would your next move be, if you were Nixon?" she asks. "You think it was Nixon?" "Who else," she says. "Everly? I..." I nce around at the media still lingering, watching curiously when she walks off toward the wreck. Everly POV: The ce was destroyed as I stared at my heart and soul burned to charcoal.I stared at the front door of the office.I could picture it like it was yesterday. The night before it poured, and I had all but given up, until I met the woman that sat on a chair with a smoke hanging between her lips by that very door. Ona stic faded chair, the way her eyes looked me up and down with no judgment. Valenes over to me while I stare at the spot she sat that day, wet from walking, hopeless, and homeless. He rubs my arms from behind me. "We should go," Valen whispers. I point to the spot. "That is where I met your mother," I tell him. "I thought she was one of the people staying here.She had smoke hanging out of her mouth." I chuckle. "She offered me a ce to stay, a hot meal, and then a job.But she gave me so much more than that," I tell him. "This ce," Valen says. I shake my head. "Hope.She gave me hope.Then she gave me a family, and then a home," I tell him looking up at what¡¯s left.I point to the room directly above us. "That is where I stayed.The next morning I came out to her calling out to me, her truck loaded with baby stuff for Vrian.There was so much stuff," I sniffled. "It takes a vige to raise a child.We are going to build our own vige.Your mother told me that, and we did." I tell him before stepping through the front door of the office, the ss door all shattered and ss crunched under my feet, the walls ck and some of the floors still smoldered.I walked out the back to my office, which used to b e her apartment. "Everly! It¡¯s not safe," Valen calls out to me while rushing in after me. Yet I didn¡¯t care, I had to seei f it survived. The safe was fireproof, and it held something more precious then gold.It had my letter. Everything was covered in soot, the room crumbling around me as I fished my keys from my pocket and kneeled next to the safe. "Everly, we shouldn¡¯t be in here! They haven¡¯t cleared the entire ce yet," Valen says but through my tears, I ce the key in and twist before pulling it out and using another key to twist the next lock and the next. The keypad for the digital screen melted, but the manual locks were fine. My heart beat faster when I heard the final lock click. I closed my eyes, gripping the handle sucking in a shuddering breath, before pulling the door open. Opening it, I found the safe intact, the heat burned the outside good, and it was warm inside. A few things on top were curled and ruined but as I dug to the bottom I burst into tears when I saw m y envelopes. They were brown from the smoke but intact.I clutched them to my chest and let out a breath. "Thank you," I whispered to no one in particr. If there was a sign, that she was still with us.This was it. Because God only knows how many times I had pulled that damn letter from its envelope when I thought I would break. Valen rubs my back, letting me fall apart, yet I couldn¡¯t move as I stared at my safe. I have no idea how long I sat there, but Valen had to go grab Vrian¡¯s clothes from the apartment, yet I couldn¡¯t bring myself to move. This ce was a time capsule, as I found every moment of this ce shing through my mind. Her voice was so clear, her memory still alive even though it was now burned rubble. I was leaning against the brown brickwork with my envelope, the one most precious to me. There were so many letters, letters of advice, letters of love. She wrote a new letter every day, each one a detailed report of what we aplished that day. A reminder of how far we havee. And every day she dropped it in the post box out the front and sent it to herwyer to hold on to. But one letter meant the most to me and it was the one I clutched in my hand like it was my lifeline, a reminder in case I forgot. One thing about Vrie was that she was unforgettable. I close my eyes, leaning my head back against the wall when her voice rings in my ears. "You don¡¯t need them.They aren¡¯t wasting tears o n you, so don¡¯t waste your tears on them.They don¡¯t deserve them," Vrie had once told me. Her voice was on rey and I savored the sound o f the memories she imprinted on me and it only made me angry that someone would try to take that memory from me, from the rogues. They burned my vige and I will burn this city to the ground.I burn, they will burn with me. "Hold on to that anger because sometimes it is the only thing that will keep you going," Vrie had also told me. And I let it fester, needing something to keep going when I heard the crunch of somebody walking into the ce.I wipe my tears but sigh when I realize it is only Valen.He crouches in front of me, tipping my chin up to meet his gaze. "Where¡¯s my girl gone?" he whispers, his eyes searching my face. "Sitting in the wreck of her vige," I tell him. "This is not my girl.My girl is a Luna, and chief to her vige," "My vige is gone," I tell him. "What happened to you will rebuild?" I sighed I wanted to punch something, scream and fight, yet at the same time I wanted to curl into a ball and die with this ce. But he was right. I had a city to burn and I couldn¡¯t do that here, feeling sorry for myself.I nod and he stands and I open the letter, reading the letter. The one thing that kept me going time and time again. Valen stands back but remains quiet as I skimmed the page. Vrie¡¯s words were unmarred and untainted as I stared at them. "What''s that?" Valen asks. "A reminder," I tell him. Leaning forward, I grab the others from where they sat and hand them to him. He looks at the hundreds of envelopes. "These are all from my mother?" he asks, and I nod. He holds his hand out for the one piece of paper written in her immacte handwriting, the one letter that means the most to me. It was the shortest of all the letters she wrote. The others were a detailed day-by-day ount of what we had achieved. What we built. But this one was something else. Just in case no one has told you today! YOU WILL NEVER DO IT! I¡¯m watching, always watching my girl. And I will be watching when you prove them all wrong! With that, I tucked the letter back in its envelope and handed it to Valen to hold with the others before walking out of the office. "Everly? What are you doing?" Valen calls as he follows me through the charred remains. "Building a vige," I tell him. Valenughs and I look at him over my shoulder. "What?" I ask and he shrugs and shakes his head, un-tucking the envelope I gave him, he opens it. "Build your Vige, Love," he says. "I am.I built this ce from nothing.I will do it again," I tell him, shoving through the doors and outside. I stop in tracks as I step into the carpark. Valen walks up behind me and he wraps his arms around my chest pulling me back against him. The letter in his hand opened, yet my gaze was on the hundreds of rogues and pack members that covered every inch of thewn. Shovels, and supplies in hand before a convoy of trucks and machinery pulled into the hotel. I suck in a breath and swallow. Every Rogue must be here, and all of Valen¡¯s pack.I nce at him over my shoulder. "Only this time, it isn¡¯t just four rogue-whores and three babies.You built a vige and these are your people.You never have to do anything alone again," Valen whispers, and tears fill my eyes as I stare back at everyone who showed up. Macey and Zoe both stood at the front with shovels in hand.My lip quivers that they would all show up for this ce. Valen kisses my cheek and lets me go. My knees shook as I walked toward my vige before they gave way from under me, they all suddenly dropped to their knees and bowed their heads. The sight of them became too much, and I broke. Tears fell as I ced my head in my hands and cried. Momentster I felt small hands touch my neck and I looked up to see Vrian standing beside me. "Don¡¯t cry Mumma," he whispers, wiping my tears. He was wearing a hi-vis shirt, jeans and little steel cap boots. "Hey, Everly!" Valen calls and I turn to look at him over my shoulder. Vrian stares at his father when Valen yells out to me. "You''ll never do it!" he yells out, and I chuckle. I open my mouth to answer him when a chorus rings out through the crowd in unison. "Watch her!" the crowd screamed back at him. Chapter 96 Chapter 96 Two Days Later For three hours, I had waited sitting in the council for my petition meeting.My ass was going numb, and this skirt was so tight it was digging into my hips. The cooling in here sucked too, and was making me feel queasy and when I saw Alpha Nixon walk out of the chambers with a smug smile on his face, my mood soured even more.I stood up, cing my folder on my seat and moved toward him. My appointment was three hours ago.My fatheres out and rushes past, heading for the doors before I could even say anything to him. Not even a nce in my direction, yet Nixon was all too happy to approach me.He strolled over in his tailored suit, briefcase and his ck leather shoes.He stopped i n front of me, giving me the once over. "How lovely to see you, Everly.What brings you here?" he asks with a sly smile. My eyes narrow a t him as people pushed out the doors behind us, leaving the council chambers and heading out past security.They cast us nervous nces, which set mea little on edge. "You know exactly why I''m here," I growl at him. "Oh, nobody told you?" he asks, smiling wickedly. He nces at the receptionist. My brows furrow in confusion at his words. No one told me or notified me to say it wasn''t going ahead, so I had no idea what he was talking about. "Your meeting was postponed.We postponed it 0 npassionate grounds after hearing about your tragedy at the hotel.What a shame!" Alpha Nixon said in a mocking tone. "Compassionate grounds.It was not necessary, I never asked for it to be postponed and nobody notified me that it had been," I tell him, ncing at the foyer desk and the woman behind it ducked her head when I turned my re on her. That woman had stared at me for three hours and did not say a goddamn word, just kept saying be patient ma''am someone will be right with you! "Not to matter, these things can¡¯t be helped.I wasing to see you today, anyway.I wanted to make you an offer," Nixon says, forcing my attention back to him. I purse my lips and fold my arms across my chest, and scoff at his words. This man had done enough and I wouldn¡¯t ept any offer he ever made. "How much for what is left of that dump?" he asks. "It isn''t for sale, and if it was, you would never be able to afford it," I tell him. "Now, don''t be rash, Everly.That ce is rubble and soot, holds no value." "Then what do you want with it if it holds no value? I know exactly what thatnd is worth and what it will be worth once I rebuild.Though I should say thank you for burning to the ground!" "T have no idea what you are talking about," he says, fiddling with his cufflinks. "Sure you don''t, but thank you," I smile. "And why is that?" Nixon chuckles arrogantly, and I lean closer to whisper to him. "Because I just realized how muchrger my pack is.You know numbers.That''s all you Alpha''s care about, the number of members you have, warriors.Well, I outnumber every pack here, so Alpha, I suggest you fal] in line before I make you my omega bitch," I tell him. "You are asking for war, Everly.How will your father feel going to war against his own daughter? " "That is where you are wrong, Alpha Nixon.In two days'' time, I will own his pack.Be wise to check your alliances because I will own you too," I sneer at him and Nixonughs. "Tam the mayor of this city, or have you forgotten, I''m not going anywhere Everly, I run this city, you are merely a rogue whore that trapped and Alpha, don¡¯t you read the headlines? "he chuckles. "Savor your time as Mayor Nixon because you won¡¯t be the city Mayor for much longer," I tell him, leaning down and grabbing my handbag and folder. "And why do you think that?" he asks I shrug. "Reputation is everything in this City Nixon.I can¡¯t fall from grace because I apparently already did.As you said, I am just a rogue-whore who trapped an Alpha.But don¡¯t forget, everyone has skeletons in the closet, and I hear yours is full to the brim with dirty secret and cobwebs.Be sure to watch the 7 o''clock news tonight; I hear you staring in those headlines," Iugh before turning on my heel and walking toward the doors. Alpha Nixon grabs my arm and yanks me back earning some shocked gasps from a few stragglers leaving still. "What have you done?" he sneered. "I do not know what you''re talking about," I tell him, sending him a wink. I shake his hand off before walking out the doors. "Sign the petition Nixon; I am only just getting started, and by the time I am done, your reputation will be lower than any rogue-whore!" I tell him, shoving through the turnstile and out the doors into the blistering hot sun. My father is waiting by his car and goes to walk over to me, but halts his steps when Nixones out a few steps behind me. Ignoring both of them, I climb in my car and send a text to Macey and Zoe to meet me at Zoe''s apartment before putting it in reverse only when I nce over my shoulder I see Nixon''s brand new Jaguar behind me. I m my foot on the elerator, hitting it so hard it pushes into the brick barricade in front of it. His horrified face made me chuckle as I wound the window down.I look out my window at his crushed back end. Whoops, I''m sure it will buff right out,I tell him before taking off cackling like a madwoman.I notice him race toward his car and clutch his hair as he looks at the damage.I rub my dash. "Good beasty, good girl." I tell my car. The drive back to the hotel left me sweating, and I was pretty sure I needed to get the air-con re- gassed. By the time reached the ce Iam drenched in sweat. In two days, with all of Valen''s pack and every rogue in the city, we had stripped the ce to the bare brick and scrubbed it down.The entire site was gutted, and contractors were walking around wearing hard hats and taking things inside to the kitchen and restaurant structure. Giant jacks were holding up some of the floors above while new support beams were put in ce. Pulling into the parking spots out front, I see the safety inspector. With a groan I shrug off my zer and climb out of the car, I walk toward him, and he goes to open his mouth, no doubt with someint, but I pluck the paper from his grip that he was holding up. "See you in a month," I tell him, not bothering to stop, I flip him the finger above my head, I was not in the mood to deal with him. I stroll to the back apartments and up the steps toward my old apartment.I unlock the door and flick the kettle on. Dumping my keys on the fruit bowl, it felt so normal, like home still. '' Raiding the fridge and pantry, I grab coffee and milk out, yet the moment I opened the coffee canister, my stomach turned violently and had m e rushing toward the sink.I hurled my guts up, spewing into the sink, wondering what came over me. Rinsing my mouth, I quickly clean the sink, wondering if I have heat stroke from sitting in the council foyer all day. Once my stomach settled and the kitchen clean, I was about to start making coffees when Macey walked in with Zoe. "How did it go?" Macey asked, rushing toward the air-conditioning panel on the wall and turning it up full st. Zoe lifts her hair off the back of her neck, and stands under the vent in the living room. "Gosh, it is hot today," she whines, her skin glistening with a sheen of sweat. Macey walks over to the freezer once done opening the door and pressing her face inside it trying to cool down while I moved to one of the chairs at the dining table and undo the top button on my skirt. "It was postponed, waiting for email on a new date, also I may have identally reversed into Nixon¡¯s shiny new car," I shrug before seeing Macey stealing ice cubes out of the freezer drawer she pulls her shirt open dropping them in her bra and Zoe and I stare at her. "What, cooling my girls down," she says, like it wasn¡¯t an odd thing to do. She reaches for me and Zoe snaps at her. "Nope, you best leave my ice tray alone.I know you aren¡¯t about to stuff them down your pants," she shrieks and Macey looks at her appalled by her words before she pops the cubes of ice in her mouth. "Not all of us are like you miss hotbox, stuffing frozen vegetables in your pants," Zoe res at m e usingly for telling Macey, and I giggle. Macey starts making coffee and I tell them about my interaction with Nixon but when Macey sets the mug in front of me, I grab it and take a sip before my stomach turns again and I am rushing for the sink. Coffeees out of my nose and mouth as I spew. Gagging on the taste, I quickly rinse my mouth and wet my face, trying to cool down. Once I feel slightly better, I stand up and turn to find them both staring at me. "What your bloody milk must be off," I tell them. "Wait, you were in heat right?" "Weeks ago!" I tell them, shaking my head and grabbing a pepsi out of the fridge.I swallow it down to rid the rancid taste from my mouth. Macey clears her throat awkwardly and I nce at her. "What!" "Hundred bucks says you''re knocked up!" "Nope, we used...." I stopped, did we use protection? "She is up the duff," Zoe exims and ps Macey¡¯s waiting hand. No, I couldn''t be, my heat came and went.... In a day! I look at Zoe horrified. "How long does a heatst?" "Three or four days, give or take and from memory, yourssted a night? Not that Iam heat cycling you or anything," she says innocently. "See, all the proof right there, you is preggers, means either he knocked you first dive into your coochie or nothing, you''re definitely pregnant," Maceyughs. "I can¡¯t be pregnant.I have the challenge in two days!" I snap at them, horrified. They nce between each other nervously. "Shit! I have tests we can check.Maybe your dad will postpone onpassionate grounds for the hotel," Macey offers while Zoe rushes off toward the bathroom. Macey eyes her suspiciously when shees out with four different pregnancy tests she returns with. "Why have you got half the chemistry tests?" she asks. "No reason," she says, shoving them in my hands. "Wait, are you and Marcus trying to have another crotch goblin?" Macey asks excitedly. "No, just in case," Zoe says. And Macey pouts fine, at least I get to be this one, cool aunty," Macey says rubbing my belly like I¡¯m a buddha and she can rub some good luck out of it. "Please be triplets, or quadruplets, a whole damn litter!" she whispers. I p her hand away. "I am not pregnant!" I tell her, and she folds her arms. "Well, one way to find out!" I stalk off to the bathroom. Minutes tick by while I wait for the digital screen to light up and the other three that I took as a precaution. Chewing my lips, I re at them, willing them to be negative and cross my fingers and toes, praying to the moon goddess I¡¯m not.I can¡¯t afford to be.I have a hotel to rebuild, a war brewing, a challenge and a Vrian! Yet as the screen lit up and the timer beeped.I nearly dived into the sink basin where the tests were perched.I grab them, examining them. "Wrong, wrong, wrong," C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. I cry when I hear a knock before the girls barge their way into the small bathroom as I fling the third one back, hitting Macey in the head with it. She cringes but catches it. "You jinxed me, undo jinx me now!" I demand as she reads the test before fisting bumping the air i n victory and bouncing on her feet. "I¡¯m gonna be an Aunty, again! You owe me...shit I forgot to tell you the bet!" she curses. Yet all I could think about was what fucked up timing this was as I sank onto the edge of the toilet and put my head i n my hands. "Come on, Evie.It¡¯s not the end of the world.Plus you won''t be alone this time and Valen is great with Vrian and¡­¡± Zoe says, but her words don¡¯t help so I drown her out as memories of myst pregnancy flood me and what the hell was I going to do about the challenge? Chapter 97 Chapter 97 Valen was working back tonight with Marcus, so after I got Vrian from school, I decided to have dinner with Zoe, Macey, and the girls. The kids had fun and it kind of reminded me of before our lives got soplicated when it was just us against the world. It''sforting knowing that nothing has changed even now with my title. To them, I would always just be Everly, not Luna, not the rogue- whore. Here, I was safe to be my normal self and was free to do as I please without judgment or having someone scrutinize me somehow. When the 7 o''clock news came on that night, I sent the kids to y with the Lego in Casey''s room. "Remote! The news is on," I say, waving my hand at Zoe. She passes me the remote, and I quickly flick the channel over. "Since when do you like watching the news?"Macey asks, and I race to the sofa and sit in the middle in front of the TV. "I like the news when I don''t star in it.I may have handed a list of evidence to the media about Nixon and my father this morning," I tell them. "What? What''d you give them?" Zoe screeches excitedly, rushes over, and sits on the other side of me.It was petty, but if they want to talk shit about me. I should be able to have fun returning the favor.I was far from apologetic, even over the one thing that was total bullshit.But then again, it could be true! Either way, it makes for exciting conversations at dinner meetings.I chuckled to myself; he was going to kill me. "Oh, this, I gotta see!" Macey says, snatching the cold bow of popcorn off the coffee table. Both Zoe and Macey looked at me questionably.It was the only thing I left out. Gettingfortable on the sofa, we all squeezed on. Zoe is sitting with her legs over myp and her feet in Macey''sp. Macey sat un-blinking, chowing down on cold popcorn from the kid''s movie we watched after dinner. Shoveling handfuls in her mouth in a very manner. When the news anchores on and Nixon''s photo pops up in the corner, we lean forward eagerly.I purse my lips. They burned my hotel, and I will burn their reputations. The newswoman reports o n Nixon''s first mate and how she became forsaken. How his wife isn''t the mother of his son Carter, but the most damning part to him, was that he abandoned his daughter to the forsaken. I even managed to find some old photos of Leah, his mate, and a hospital report of a young woman named Ka, who was Carter''s twin sister, which would push the evidence along. Plus, an idental photo, and from an awkward angle, it looked like Alpha Nixon was picking his nose while sitting in his car outside the pack hospital. Man, it was hard getting a hold of hospital footage, but somehow Valen had managed it. The news anchor even said that they would pay for the DNA test if he wanted to prove his innocence. Of course, we all knew that wouldn''t happen, only making him look more guilty. The news anchorwoman then went on to talk about his hate for rogues, and this may be the reason why. And that his daughter was technically still one and his mate had turned forsaken. Sitting back, I smiled smugly; suck on that, Nixon! Macey was chewing and shoveling popcorn in her mouth so fast, and both her and Zoe''s eyes were glued to the TV until Macey started coughing and spluttering, choking on her popcorn when my father''s turn was next. And instead of his usual portrait photos, Ava and I had managed to find some old pictures on the family link app that he forgot to remove her from. It was a photo from when we were kids at a dress-up party. My father was wearing one of my mother''s mini dresses and fis stockings, with a wig and high heel boots. We sent three photos to them. One with him in a wig, all mmed up, as a woman, and another without the wig, revealing that it was definitely my father. ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Because the photo was of him in our bathroom putting on red lipstick. And thest image was him bending over drunk, his nuts hanging out since he was also wearing my mother''sce knickers. There was absolutely nothing wrong with the photos, but I knew my father wouldn''t see it that way, especially when the news anchor told the city that he was secretly a crossdresser and that his two daughters confirmed it. I snicker, and Zoe snorts.I smack Macey''s back, and she sucks ina lungful of air. We all burst outughing, knowing how horrified my father would be over this. Though we saw nothing wrong with it, this would definitely taint my father''s conservative front he puts up. "Man, I wish I could wear heels that high.Any more than an inch, and I can''t walk straight." Macey laughs. "There is so much I could say to thatment,"I tell her, and she res at me.I snickered at her outraged face. "Damn! Papa John got some nice legs on him.A bit hairy, but look at them muscr thighs," Zoe says, and I elbow her, a little grossed out she was checking out my father. "Oh my God! I bet your father had a heart attack seeing this pop up on the news,"Macey chuckled. "You know there will be bacsh," Zoe says, and I shrug. "What are they going to do? use me of lying about who Vrian''s father is? It''s obvious whose child he is by the eyes.And I am pretty sure there isn''t one article that doesn''t taint me poorly.Sticks and stones," I tell therm. Valen starts blowing up my phone.He had no idea what I wanted the footage for, and 1 am sure he thought I would try to ckmail Nixon with it, not hand it to the media. With a groan, I get up.I knew I had to face my mate, and I''m sure he would have plenty to say about it. Macey also had to leave, so we both bundled the kids up in our cars, and I waved as she left. Driving home, I was stillughing to myself. Vrian kept asking why, but I would just shake my head. Pulling up in the car park Vrian rushes ahead to the ss doors and is greeted by the doorman. I chuck my keys to the valet, though as I retrieve my handbag from the boot and the few groceries I stopped and grabbed on the way home, I jump when I am grabbed and yanked away from the trunk. My bags drop, and I turn to see who it is, only to find myself ring up at my father. "What the fuck do you think you are doing?" He growled at me. "Well, I was getting groceries from my car," I snarl back, picking up the spilled oranges. My father crouches down and starts helping me re- bag everything.He gasps while I chase a runaway apple when he picks up my handbag.I snatch my bag off him and the pregnancy test out of his hand. "You''re pregnant?" He asks, standing up and towering over me. Chapter 98 Chapter 98 ¡°Shush! Keep your voice down!¡± I hissed at him, ncing around. ¡°You can¡¯t bloody shift! The challenge is not tomorrow but the next day,¡± my father growls, forgetting what he came here for, though I knew it has to do with the news. ¡°Challenge is still going ahead. I am not backing down,¡± I tell him. ¡°You can¡¯t shift, Everly! Why would you challenge me when you are pregnant?¡± he growls. ¡°I only just found out today, but it changes nothing,¡± ¡°Like fuck it doesn¡¯t! Iam not fighting a pregnant woman!¡± he snarls. ¡°Then stand down!¡± I tell him ¡°No! It is my pack. I can¡¯t even if I wanted to,¡± he says making my brows furrow before I shake my head. : ¡°Then I will see you in two days,¡± I tell him, snatching my bags up. Vrianes out the doors, looking at us. ¡°Does Valen know?¡± he asks as I start to head inside. ¡°No, and you will keep your mouth shut until after the challenge,¡± I tell him he scoffs and shakes his head. ¡°It¡¯s my birthright! I¡¯m the rightful heir! Do the right thing, dad. Hand me my title,¡± he says nothing, and I start walking off when he chases me, stopping me again. ¡°Mum?¡± Valerian calls out, looking at me worriedly. Guards start moving in, but I wave them off. ¡°Your mother will be with you in a second, Val. Wait inside. It is cold,¡± my father tells him, and Vrian looks at me. I nod for him to goin, and he does, standing just inside the doors. ¡°What?¡± I asked, turning to look back at my father. ¡°You fucked up,¡± ¡°So, it¡¯s ok for you to paint me in the media as a whore but don¡¯t like the favor returned?¡± Iugh. ¡°I don¡¯t care about the photos of me. I will deal with that. It¡¯s Nixon, he will fuckinge for you for what you did. You need to leave the city. Get Vrian and Ava and your two girlfriends, and get out while you can.¡± ¡°What? No. Iam not leaving the city,¡± my father grabs my arms. ¡°You need to get out! Nixon is nning something! Something big!¡± he says staring me dead in the face. It was then I knew that he knew something that he was trying to keep hidden. ¡°Like what?¡± I ask. He says nothing and curses. ¡°This is about your debt?¡± I ask, and his head snaps back to look at me. ¡°How? ¡­bloody Ava.¡± he curses. ¡°I don¡¯t know but I have a funny feeling it is to do with the rogues and forsaken going missing,¡± he says, ncing around nervously. ¡°What do you mean?¡± I ask him. ¡°You need to leave the city!¡± ¡°Tell me why. What have you done?¡± I ask him. ¡°Thaven¡¯t done anything but I found documentation on a hard drive Nixon left at the council one morning. He is building an army to take down Valen¡¯s pack and the Night sher Pack. That¡¯s why I tried to marry Ava off to Valen. Not just to absolve my debt, but to ensure Valen holds rein over the city. If he married Ava, I would have had sway over Valen, but-¡± ¡°You want Valen to remain in control?¡± I asked a little skeptical. ¡°We may have our differences, but if Nixon takes down Valen¡¯s pack and the sher pack, he will hold control,¡± ¡°We outnumber his pack. You aren¡¯t making sense!¡± J tell him. ¡°You don¡¯t! Think Everly! The forsaken! Nixon is behind it, and he is building a fucking army out of them!¡± I stumble back. ¡°And you¡¯re helping him?¡± My father shakes his head. ¡°No, it¡¯s not like that. I got the pack in debt with sher Pack¡¯s Alpha. Nixon dug me out. And now, I owe him. I will work that out, but ¡­.¡± ¡°What aren¡¯t you telling me?¡± my father hangs his head ¡°He was trying to find a vine for his daughter and son. Nixon made the vine, but he also stumbled on something else. He found a way to replicate the venom.¡± dad says, and my eyes widen in horror. ¡°And you¡¯re helping him kill rogues?¡± I asked, disgusted. ¡°No, that¡¯s not me. I¡­ can¡¯t.. Fuck!¡± ¡°You want my help? You fucking speak.¡± I snarl trying to figure out what it is he is wanting. My father sucks in a deep breath. ¡°It¡¯s my fault because I got the pack in debt. I made a stupid bet when drunk,¡± ¡°You bet the packnd?¡± I asked, and he nodded. ¡°Yes, or 3 million dors. I already gambled everything. Nixon loaned me the money and the pack is coteral, he gave me five years to pay it back or hand my firstborn over. I was going to find the money, but when you said you were pregnant, I knew you wouldn¡¯t get rid of your son and Nixon was pushing for you to marry Carter. So I made you a rogue to cover up the fact I faked your death. If Nixon knew you were pregnant he would have used Vrian against Valen,¡± he exins, and my head was swimming with all this information. I had so many questions, but my father¡¯s nervousness told me he couldn¡¯t be seen here as he nced around. ¡°So, why are you helping him now?¡± ¡°I asked for more time after I met Carter. I couldn¡¯t let him have Ava either and when I refused, he kidnapped your mother. It is why I don¡¯t let her leave the packhouse. He injected herst year with the venom,¡± Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°What?!¡± I ask, my heart racing. ¡°Every month, he gives her the vine. It stops it from taking over. But when it does, she is like one of them. The vine is the only thing that stops her from turning. It¡¯s why I went against the petition. He wouldn¡¯t give her the vine if I signed it,¡± he says when Vrian calls out. ¡°Mum!¡± My father looks over my shoulder. ¡°Thave to go. But I¡­ I will see you at the challenge,¡± he says, rushing back to his car. ¡°Come on, mum!¡± Vrian whines and I collect the bags and rush to the front door. Moving across the foyer, my father¡¯s words reyed in my mind. But as I neared the penthouse floor, another worry set in. The elevator doors open, and Vrian runs ahead, opens the door, and holds it for me. I drag the groceries to the kitchen and ce them on the counter. ¡°Finally, you¡¯re home,¡± Valen says, walking out of the hall with a towel around his waist His hair was wet, and his skin glistened, having just stepped out of the shower. Vrian rushed over and hugged him. Valen scooped him up and walked over to me. He pecks my cheek and reaches for the handbag I still have over my shoulder. My heart thumps harder in my chest, and I pull away. He gives me a funny look, but Vrian distracts him by talking about Taylor and Casey fighting over her barbie dolls. Moving quickly, I put the groceries away before rushing back to the bedroom, needing to hide the damn pregnancy test at least until after the challenge. I know if Valen finds it, he will make me back out. But now, more was at stake, and I wasn¡¯t about to back down after everything. I needed to do this! Valen wouldn¡¯t understand that, especially if he knew I was pregnant, and he couldn¡¯t im my title for me. ncing around, I rush into the closet. Hearing hime up the hall toward the room, I panic and jam it inside one of my knee-high boots and set it back on the shoe rack. cing my bag on the small cupboard just inside the walk-in closet, Valen walks in, he retrieves some shorts from the shelf and slips them on. ¡°Why did you rush off in a hurry?¡± ¡°I want to shower, I feel gross,¡± I tell him, retrieving my pajamas and walking out to the ensuite. He follows and leans on the doorframe while I get undressed. ¡°I saw the news. I wonder how they got that information?¡± he chuckles. ¡°No, idea. But I heard the blood Alpha has an excellent hacker. I should ask him,¡± Iugh, turning the shower on. ¡°Vrian said your father was downstairs?¡± Valen asks me, and I nod. Stepping under the water spray, I tell him what my father told me. ¡°Your father could be lying, but at the same time, why would he? Can he get evidence of this? It could also be a reason for you to back out of the challenge. He may be trying to scare you?¡± he says, and he had a point. However, with the way dad was and his nervousness, I knew he wasn¡¯t lying. ¡°Are you nervous about the challenge?¡± he asks, and I swallow. ¡°Nope,¡± I tell him, but I was nervous. Not because I didn¡¯t think I could beat him, but worried Macey or Zoe might say to him I am pregnant. I knew! could beat my father in this form, but Valen wouldn¡¯t care about that. He would only care about the risk to our unborn baby. ¡°You sure you are ok? You feel off,¡± Valen says, and I turn to face him while rinsing the shampoo out. 1 ¡°Yep, fine, I am just tired,¡± I lie. Chapter 99 Chapter 99 Chapter 99 Avoiding Valen¡¯s watchful eyes in the past 24 hours has been near impossible . It didn¡¯t help that morning sickness decided to rear its ugly head . I believe that now I knew I was pregnant . Every pregnancy symptom suddenly sprang forward with an ugly vengeance , trying to screw me out of hiding it . He knows something is up because I had no doubt he could feel it . Zoe and Macey had been at me all day about it , and just when I thought , I finally escaped them by hiding in my makeshift office in the events hall . Thanks to Alpha Nixon , it used to be a storage room for tables and chairs , but is now my new office . It was nearly time to clock out and head home . Valen said he would pick me up tonight , worried I would run myself off the road , confusing my fear of him finding out with nervousness about the uing challenge But Macey and Zoe weren¡¯t giving up so easily as they burst into my office , blocking the door as I switched my deskmp off that was running off an extension cord from the main room . I roll my eyes as they stop my exit . Looking at the clock above the door , I pin them both with my re , they know Valen will be here any minute , or maybe that was their n so they could out me . ¡± Everly , you aren¡¯t leaving us much choice , ¡± Macey says , folding her arms across her chest . ¡± That¡¯s because it isn¡¯t your choice , I have to challenge my father . The entire city knows about the challenge . I back down now the rogues will think I am running . I need to do this , ¡± I tell them . ¡± But the risks , you can¡¯t shift ! ¡± Zoe says , her hands reaching toward my non existent bump like she pictured it round and full of limbs . ¡± I¡¯m durable . I know what I am doing , I won¡¯t let him harm me . Besides , he knows , ¡± I tell them , chewing my lip nervously . ¡± Your father knows , yet you haven¡¯t told your mate ! ¡± Macey growls at me . ¡± I didn¡¯t tell him , he found out for one , and secondly , if I do this , we hold reign over a third of the city ; Valen held half We only need to tip the scales a little more . Valen holds control , but not enough without my father¡¯s pack to change thews himself . sher , Shadow , and Nixon hold the other half , therefore equal votes within the council . This throws that out , ¡± 11 S ¡± Yes , but not at risk to your ¡­ child . Think Everly ! If you do this , you are putting yourself at risk . ¡± Macey argues . ¡± I¡¯m already at risk . This is bigger than me . For all those in the city , my life seems a no ¨C brainer . But don¡¯t worry , I am not nning on losing , so it will mean something . Valen can¡¯t challenge for the title , only an heir can . My father holds thend titles . I need thesend titles before Nixon gets his hands on them . This needs to be done . It is the only way to set everything right , back to the way Vrie intended , ¡± I retort . ¡± The City can wait ! ¡± Macey says , and I shake my head and push past them . ¡± I won¡¯t blow my chance . Every fucking step we take , we get knocked back four . I am sick of ying this Yoyo game of cat and mouse . I am done being the mouse ! Thews pass when I beat him . For thefirst time , I hold power . The fucking rogues hold power for once ! ¡± I yell at them . A couple of the workers in the event hall rush out , thinking we are about toe to blows . We never have and never will . But this shit was getting to me . ¡± Everly , please , ¡± Zoe murmurs . ¡± I¡¯m tired . I¡¯m so fucking tired of battling , don¡¯t you get it ? How many girls havee through our damn doors looking for a ce to stay and work ? How many ? ¡± I ask them . ¡± How many times have we had to scrape them up off the floor when their families abandoned them , their packs shunned them ? How many hungry mouths do we have to feed before we suddenly can¡¯t anymore ? ¡± ¡± It¡¯s not your battle Everly , ¡± Macey says . ¡± It is ! ¡± I screamed . Everything became too much and erupted in anger , everything crashing and smashing relentlessly . Something¡¯s gotta give ! I am drowning here , and everything is just adding weight . Drowning in grief responsibility , obligation , and the restraints are so heavy , so , so heavy . I can¡¯t keep fighting . I am done fighting . I just want to rest , and if this is what I have got to do to get it , then so be it , Tears burn my eyes and Zoe¡¯s . Macey purses her lips , looks at the ceiling , and clicks her tongue . I suck in a breath before turning on my heel , walking out toward the doors . ¡± Vrie wouldn¡¯t want you to risk yourself like this . Risk her grandchild , ¡± Macey says , and I stop . ¡± That¡¯s unfair , Macey , ¡± I tell her , spinning around , and she shrugs . ¡± It¡¯s true , ¡± she says . ¡± Who do you think I am doing this for ? ¡± I tell her as tears slip down my cheeks . ¡± She gave me everything when I had nothing . She fought for me and all of us when no one else did . This , everything we have done and all those we helped , was for her . She had the vision to make this city free . It was supposed to be free , and they took it from her . I tell them . ¡± I am just getting it back and doing what she wanted . Nobody knew sacrifice more than that woman did . So yes , she wouldn¡¯t want me to do it , but she would understand why Lhave to . So no , you don¡¯t get to use her against me ! ¡± 1 tell them before turning on my heel and walking out before one of us says something we can¡¯t take back . Her words stung because I knew she was right , but Vrie too , risked her life fighting for the rogues . She could have walked away , hung up the banners and stopped fighting , given in , and reformed , but she didn¡¯t . She lost her son and her family¡¯s reputation , her home , and the city , and I will be damned if I let that keep repeating . It takes me a few seconds to regain myself and I groan when I feel Valen getting closer at an rming speed . I wipe my face just as Macey and Zoee out behind me , and Valen runs around the corner of the main building , looking panic -stricken . Trapped was how I suddenly felt , caught between my mate and best friends , the girls I trusted more than anyone , and I was a deer in headlights as Valen grabbed my arms . ¡± What happened ? What¡¯s wrong ? ¡± he asks , his clothes in disarray from running . He looks around frantically for any danger before looking at Macey and Zoe behind me . I wait for it , wait for everything to unravel and fall apart again . We were so close , so close . ¡± I¡¯m fine . Where is Vrian ? ¡± I ask him . ¡± In the car with Marcus . What¡¯s going on ? ¡± ¡± Nothing . We disagreed . I¡¯m fine , everything is fine , ¡± ¡± You don¡¯t feel fine , ¡± Valen growls , cupping my face in his hands and looking at the girls . I swallow , waiting for them to say something . ¡± Why is everyone crying ? Answer me , someone ! ¡± he snaps , looking at us all , and I look at them . Zoe opens her mouth , and I beg her with my eyes not to , and she closes it . ¡± Nothing . We had a dispute over rosters . We wanted her to take some time off , ¡± Macey lies , looking at me . Relief floods me , and I hang my head . ¡± Well , that¡¯s a good thing . I agree with them , ¡± Valen says , rubbing my arms . ¡± I thought someone died or hurt you . Geez , you nearly gave me a heart attack , ¡± he says , hugging me . I keep my mouth shut , unable to speak , but I am grateful they didn¡¯t say anything . Macey walks over to me , chucks her arm over my shoulder , and Zoe follows . We walk out to the car , and Marcus is leaning against the hood . He moves to the back door and opens it , and Casey climbs out .. ¡± Everything alright ? ¡± he asks Zoe , who nods to him . He doesn¡¯t look like he believes her either , but we all say our goodbyes when Macey grabs me as Valen climbs in the car . ¡± Thank you , ¡± I whisper to her . ¡± Please don¡¯t ever ask me to lie like this . again . But , I get it . Kick his fucking ass ! I will be cheering from the sidelines and ready to hammer him if he hurts you , ¡± she whispers , kissing my cheek and I chuckle . The drive home was silent , but Valen kept ncing at me . I could even feel his eyes on m¨¦ as I stared out the window . He clutches my hand , and I look at him before his voice flits through my head . His eyes go to Vrian in the mirror . ¡± If it¡¯s about tomorrow , you can back out . I know it must be hard to challenge your father , ¡± Valen says . I shake my head , and he squeezes my hand . ¡± It¡¯s not that . Just don¡¯t be mad afterward , ¡± I tell him , suddenly feeling guilty . We hade so far , and now I was not only risking myself , but us , but I had a reason . And he looked at me , turning his head to the side to look at me . ¡± Why would I be mad ? I could never be mad at you , ¡± Valen says . ¡± What¡¯s going on ? ¡± he asks when I don¡¯t answer . ¡± Nothing , I think dad just got in my head , ¡± I lie . It was bing a thing . Lying shouldn¡¯t be a thing , yet I knew the rogues needed this . I needed this . This would set us free . Yet why did it have to risk so much ? ¡± If you¡¯re scared Everly , you can back out . It¡¯s ok to be scared , ¡± Valen says . ¡± I¡¯m not scared , ¡± I tell him . ¡± Good . Because the moment I think you¡¯re in trouble , I will be pulling you out . I won¡¯t let him hurt you . ¡± ¡± Valen , it¡¯s a challenge , that is the whole point , and you can¡¯t make him submit for me , ¡± ¡± No , but I will . I don¡¯t care how manyws it breaks . I know only an heir can challenge , but I will not let your father kill you either , Everly . And before you ask , don¡¯t ask me not to step in if it comes to that . That is something I won¡¯t promise you , so either win or back out now because if you are on the losing end , I am getting in that arena , ¡± he says , and I sigh . ¡± Ok , I won¡¯t ask that , but .. ¡± No. There are no buts . That is how it is . Sorry , but if I have to pull rank , I don¡¯t want to have to , but I will if it means keeping you alive , Everly . Don¡¯t expect me to watch you get hurt or killed and stand there . I wouldn¡¯t ask that of you if our roles were reversed , so don¡¯t ask something of me . I know you wouldn¡¯t live up to yourself , ¡± I swallow out guilt . His words hit home a little too closely . He knows me too well , which only makes me lying to him tear me apart more . All night I was restless and sleep didn¡¯te easily . Val¨¦n luckily didn¡¯t ask me to train , insisting I needed a good night¡¯s rest , yet when I woke up the following day . I felt anything but rested . I was anxious , and my eyes felt like sandpaper . My stomach twisted violently and had me running for the bathroom as I retched and gagged Once I emptied my stomach , I rinsed my mouth and wet down my face just as Valen walked in and leaned on the doorframe . ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. ¡± Nerves ? ¡± he asks and I nod , trying to catch my breath . ¡± You alright ? ¡± he asks . ¡± Yep , never better , ¡± I lie . He nods , walking out , and I stare at my reflection , trying to get myself together . A few more hours and this city was about to have another power yer , and for once the ball was in my court , I just had to win the challenge first . ¡± Everly , Breakfast ! ¡± Valen calls out to me and I sigh . As long as I could make him submit before we came to the second round , which requires us to shift , I could win this . If not , it may all be for nothing . So that was not an option . Chapter 100 Chapter 100 Everly Pov The arena was basically just an old football stadium that no one used anymore besides for city functions . The building was huge and well looked after but it was rare for the entire city to participate in the functions , most packs tended to stick to themselves and besides the annual alpha meeting you rarely caught everyone in the same ce . But this challenge was all through the media so I wasn¡¯t shocked to see this ce packed to the brim , everyone crammed in like sardines in a can . Nervousness crept in as we pulled in next to the huge entrance . People walking in and I felt giddy seeing rogues entering a ce that was otherwise forbidden to them . Valen¡¯s men made sure they had entry through his tunnel entrance . Macey and Zoe stood by the doors next to Tatum and Marcus . Macey was the only one out of us that was still rogue and despite the offers she refused saying she was happy with her status . Although , I had a funny feeling with Tatum¡¯s infatuation with her it would only be a matter of time . Valen would take and ept all the rogues without asking but it was more then that , I may be pack , Zoe pack , but we were all rogue , status is given but at heart , we wed out from the rubble like the rest of them , bled beside them and took on society exactly the same . No my vige didnt need a pack , this city should be pack , no names , nobels , no designation . One pack is how it was supposed to be and it should be , everyone free , and free to choose and free to live . That was what we wanted , just our freedoms , nothing more and nothing less . Valen grips my knee as Vrian undoes his seatbelt when he sees Taylor and Casey , Casey waving a snow cone in the air for him . He jumps out and runs over to her , his had no color , just ice , the girls knew him too well . Valen shakes his head at him and chuckles before looking over at me .This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. ¡± Are you sure you wouldn¡¯t be morefortable in shorts , you will ruin those pants shifting in them . I brought you a set in case you changed your mind , ¡± Valen says while ncing down at my yoga pants : I shake my head . I wouldn¡¯t be shifting , it would risk too much , my body would have to change too much . ¡± No , I¡¯m hoping he submits in first half , ¡± ¡± You realize how hard that is , we are instinctual , and you know how these things go , after 10 minutes and the drill goes off everyone shifts , so unless you got some moves I don¡¯t know , you are gonna have to shift , Love , ¡± I swallowed . He was right . No one likes a challenge going on too long , after ten minutes the drill will go off . That was brought in decades before I was born after a challengested three days while both of them circled each other looking for an opening . Iugh at that thought , stuff that , best to get it over with . Then again , I also understood it . What parent wants to fight their child and vice versa . Are you afraid to show your wolf ? ¡± Valen asks and I stare at him but he looks away . I tilt my head to look at him . ¡± What is that supposed to mean ? ¡± ¡± Nothing , I just know you are self conscious about how small yours is , though when the rogue attack happened you were a fair bit bigger , is that why you never wanted to train in your wolf at home , ¡° ¡± Well , you would be self conscious too if you looked like someone¡¯s pet dog and not a werewolf , ¡± I tell him .. ¡± You¡¯re not that small , ¡± he says and I shrug and open my door . Zoe and Macey are waiting for me by the entrance and I need them to keep calm , right now . We walk through the dark tunnel ande out the other end walking along the boundary line . I could see Nixon and his pack watching . sher pack was also here but Nixon and dad stood on the other side of the massive ring that is etched into the grass with white paint . We walk over to our ce when I feel my head tugged back by my ponytail Valen¡¯s hand wraps around it and pulls me to stop , turning me . His arm wraps around my waist pulling me against him and he tips my head back . His lips cover mine in a heated kiss that has my cheeks burning with his very public disy . ¡± Valen ! ¡± I mumbled against his lips , and he chuckled . He was stillughing when he let me go . He tugs me along and Kalen rushes in quickly . There was a park at the other end of the arena which is where he is taking the children to y so they don¡¯t have to watch . They could because I was training at their age , however , a challenge was vastly different : it wasn¡¯t mucking around , it was blood , ws , teeth and fur . Messy and terrifying so when Vrian demanded he wanted toe , we organized for Kalen to watch them at the park and bring them over after . ¡± How are you , are you still set to leave tomorrow ? ¡± Valen asks his father . Kalen stops and pecks my cheek and hugs his son . "Yep , leaving at 7am , ¡± Kalen says and Valen nods . ¡± Where are you going ? ¡± I ask him . ¡± To pick up some supplies that got lost in transit for the hotel , ¡± Kalen says with a shrug . Kalen quickly hugs me . ¡± Knock his ass out , love . Now where are these munchkins of mine , ¡± Kalen says looking around for the kids . He points off toward the girls and waves before rubbing his hands together . He walks off toward them , ¡± Who wants to race Pop to the park over there . ¡± he says , pointing off toward the other end . The three kids look where he points before running off and Kalen chases them . Valenughs at his father who could easily outrun them but lets them win . Once they are gone , I turn around to face the pit and the ce falls silent when my father steps over the barrier and removes his shirt , handing it to my mother . I suck in a breath and Valen grips my shoulders giving them a squeeze . ¡± Breathe , you got this , ¡± he says , yet my eyes were on my father , images of training with him when I was kid skipped through my head . When I regarded him as my hero , but now I was no longer a little girl , he was no longerrger than life , but despite that his size and physique remained the same . This man was a giant , and powerful . I swallow down the dread , remembering when he identally broke femur in training when he punched me a little too hard , one punch and he snapped it like it was chicken bone . I shake the memory away before tugging my shirt off , I had a sports bra underneath and my shirt would give him something to grab a hold off . My mother stood beside Nixon looking at us nervously and as I was about to walk onto the field , I felt a hand grip my arm . I stop when I see it is Ava . She stares at me . ¡° Dad¡¯s left knee is bad , he has had two surgeries on it , watch his hooks , but if ites to his wolf back out ! I will take your ce , I am not good at hand to hand but , ¡± she nces at our father nervously .. It was clear she was petrified of my father , she hated training and it scared the crap out of her . Ava was not violent by nature , she wasn¡¯t trained the way I was , she was daddy¡¯s princess while I was his warrior . ¡± Ava you don¡¯t have to get in there , and you aren¡¯t , ¡± I tell her and she swallows again , though I knew she would get in there if I asked and she would take a beating happily for me , a beating isn¡¯t needed here , victory is so I knew this was on me . Ava grabs me and hugs me . ¡± I know ! ¡± she whispers , and I pull away from her and look at her . ¡± I know , and you back out or I will , ¡± she looks at Valen standing over at the sidelines . ¡± Who ? ¡± I ask . ¡± ¡± Macey and Zoe , ¡± ¡± You can¡¯t shift , ¡± Ava continues . ¡± I don¡¯t need to , I can beat him in this form , I was born for this Ava , trained in his image for this , I haven¡¯t forgotten , I will win , ¡± I reassure her . ¡± You better , if not stand down , your people will understand , they won¡¯t see it as a failure , ¡± she says . ¡± No , but I will . You haven¡¯t been with us as long , you haven¡¯t seen the half of it , this will change everything , now I am asking you , as a sister , to keep your mouth shut , ¡± she pressed her lips in a line and nodded . ¡± Left knee , and try to keep on right side , his vision isn¡¯t the best in that eye anymore , beat him before the shift , if you¡¯re in trouble I am telling , ¡± She says walking off and I sigh before turning to my father . Once inside the circle there was no backing out . My father stood in the center waiting , arms folded to see if I would step in ¡± Back out Evie , you don¡¯t want to do this , ¡± Dad says to me and I shake the shudder that rippled up my spine as his aura washed over me and stepped inside the circle . He curses and shakes his head but takes a stance . I moved closer and on his right , watching how he shifted a little more and I realized Ava was right . His vision on that side wasn¡¯t the best and he growled and I saw his eyes go to her off the side . She waves to him before he turns back to face me again . Nixon calls out to him but my father ignores him . The whistles went off while we sized each other up and when he didn¡¯t charge at me or make a move , I knew I would have to be the one to initiate the fight so I did . He blocked my punch easily and ducked under my arm which left him an opening to my ribs but he didn¡¯t take it . Nixon yells at him to fight , but dad goes on the defensive . After a few minutes it was starting to irritate me . I caught his left knee three times but he never swung back . When I went to kick him again , he caught my foot which left me in a bad position and he growled angrily at me . ¡± Submit , ¡± he snarled at me before punching me in the thigh . I groan , feeling it bruise and stagger back when he lets me go . My eyes go to the huge digital disy 4 minutes before we would be forced to shift . ¡± No , ¡± I growl and Dad growls back at me before spear tackling me and the air catches in my lungs as I am airborne . I am waiting for his crushing weight to smash me into the ground but at thest second he twists , and I crash on top of him instead of being crushed under him . I sat up shocked and punched him while he pulled me closer in a headlock , which left me struggling to get out of it , my fist connecting with his ribs , and the side of his head , yet dad was only holding me . ¡± Fight back , I am not a little girl , ¡± I tell him . ¡± Wrong , you¡¯re my girl , my pregnant girl , ¡± he snarls before rolling me off him . I get to my hands and feet . ¡± What are you doing John ! ¡± Nixon roars from the sidelines . My father ignores him and gets to his feet . He nces at the clock . ¡± Stand down , submit ! ¡± Dad says and I clutch my knees while he is trying to catch his breath . ¡± I can¡¯t ! ¡± I tell him looking at the crowd of rogues . ¡± John ! Stop ying with her and take her fucking out ! ¡± Nixon booms across the field and I nce over my shoulder at him . My mother is standing beside him , her face pale as a ghost and I turn my attention back to my father . He looked torn . ¡± Please Evie , ¡± he whispers and I take my stance and he growls taking his before we start fighting again , or I do while he continues ying this stupid game of just blocking and dodging . Chapter 101 Chapter 101 Valen POV This was not what I expected. Everly was on attack the entire time, yet the longer I watched, I realized John wasn¡¯t even fighting. He could havended multiple blows on her and she even left herself open a couple times where he could have taken her out but he didn¡¯t. Ava stood beside me chewing her nails nervously, her eyes glued to the match and Macey and Zoe beside her with the same frightened expressions on their faces. Something was going on. It was almost like John was deliberately throwing the challenge. ¡°Why isn¡¯t he fighting back?¡± Marcus whispered and I shrug, but Everly was bing tired and she only had two minutes left before they had to shift. Nixon was screaming at John to take her out, screaming like a damn banshee and distracting both of them. I have put up more of a fight with her when training with her, yet John almost seemed scared of hurting her and Everly was also holding back. He had hit her once and it was only in the thigh, he had ample opportunity at body and head shots but never took one of them. The siren red signaling it was time to shift. And I noticed Everly nce at Ava nervously. I could see John talking to her while they fought, but once that signal went off he had no choice but to shift. However, Everly didn¡¯t. ¡°What are you doing? Shift!¡± I scream at her and I see Ava take a step forward to the pit and Macey grips her arm and shakes her head. Ava¡¯s body trembles like she was about to shift herself and run in there if Macey hadn¡¯t stopped her. ¡°Everly, shift!¡± Imand through the mindlink. She tenses and looks at me over her shoulder and fights mymand when Ava notices mymand over her she yells at me. ¡°She can¡¯t! Drop yourmand! You are distracting her!¡± Ava snapped at me and my brows furrowed in confusion and I was about to ask what she was talking about when John¡¯s huge wolf stalks toward Everly and she backs up, turning to her side, making herself a smaller target but still she doesn¡¯t shift. Ava walks the sideline with me. ¡°Everly, back out!¡± Ava snarls at her sister but she shakes her head not turning her head away from the fight. John charges at her and I hold my breath. Everly jumps back and pivots, her foot connecting with him under the ribs, only for him to turn and sh her thigh. She staggers back and he pounces on her at the same time her fist connects with the side of his head. He shakes his head and backs up, snarling and snapping his huge teeth at her. ¡°Everly, what are you doing? F*cking shift!¡± I yell at her as her pants be soaked with her blood from his ws shing her outer thigh. Nixon screams at him, distracting him for a second and she jumps on him. Wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs around his torso but he rears up trying to throw her off, he nearlynds on top of her but twists at thest second, bounces off her before his weight could crush her. She rolled out of his way before he could snap his teeth at her face but he made no move to, and didn¡¯t attack when she tried to get to her feet which left her wide open. ¡°F*cking take her out John!¡± Nixon snarls angrily across the other side. He was so furious, his canines slipped from his gums and I red at him. John looks in N ixon¡¯s direction and hangs his head when I notice ire beside him. Tears streamed down her face as she watched her daughter and her mate. ¡°It¡¯s ok, love,¡± she yells at him. Everly circles around him but he hangs his head before charging at her. My breath lodges in my throat as she runs at him too and I wait for them to collide, ws, teeth and skin don¡¯t mix. Ava screams out and runs toward the pitch just as Marcus snags his arm around Ava¡¯s waist hauling her back. My heart raced when suddenly John jumps clean over her, Everly spins, her feet losing traction on the gr*ss and she falls on her hip. Get up! Get up! I worry as John turns around and moves toward her, snarling and snapping his teeth. Everly backs up on her hands and feet, as he stalks toward her, she raises her foot to get ready to kick him when he pounces on her. My breath lodges in my throat and I go to run onto the arena but stop when John drops on his belly and she halts. John tilts his head and bares his neck to her in submission while I try to figure out what just happened. I look at Marcus to see if he just witnessed the same thing. John submitted. Nixon curses and yells before storming out, shoving past his people, while ire rushes onto the field with shorts and a towel. Everly reached forward and brushed his fur. He whimpers and ire throws a towel over him while I gaped. What the f*ck just happened? Once the towel is over him he shifts back and is on his knees in front of her and she gets to her feet. When it is clear it is over, I walk into the center of the arena, wanting to know what happened and why he suddenly caved to his daughter. Confusion was evident in the crowd as murmurs broke out in a chorus, this wasn¡¯t what anyone was expecting. Especially after all the fighting between packs. Everly¡¯s mother was talking in a hushed voice and as I approached Everly, I caught the end of her mothers words to John and I halted on my steps. ¡°You did the right thing, love. We lost one grandchild and daughter, we don¡¯t need to make the same mistakes again. You did the right thing, she is carrying our grandchild,¡± ire whispers and Everly tenses as I stop beside her. ire was trying to console John yet I couldn¡¯t take my eyes from my mate. My eyes drifted over her before going to hers. ¡°Pardon?¡± I ask ire and she gasps, taking a step away from me. ¡°You¡¯re pregnant?¡± I asked, looking at Everly, shocked. Everly looks at me and rity hits. What Ava meant when she told me to drop themand, why she wouldn¡¯t shift, I looked at John on his knees and at Ava. ¡°They knew?¡± I ask her and tears short in her eyes as she takes a step toward me, but I take a step back. ¡°Valen, I¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s what you were arguing with Macey and Zoe about, isn¡¯t it?¡± I ask her and she reaches for me but I take another step back from her. I felt betrayed, and I couldn¡¯t believe she would go to the challenge and risk our unborn child. ¡°Don¡¯t!¡± I warn her when she reaches for me again. ¡°Valen,¡± ¡°No, Everly. That wasn¡¯t just your secret to keep from me,¡± I told her before turning on my heel and walking away from her. Never had i been so angry at her, betrayed by her. I go looking for Vrian angered she would keep that from me and needing to get away from her before I did something I regret. Marcus rushes over to me and grabs my shoulder but I shove him off. ¡°Did you know too?¡± I snarl him. He puts his hand up in surrender but shakes his head, and I growl at Zoe and Macey as they p*ss me. I felt betrayed by all of them. My father walks over to me when he sees me walking i n his direction, but I don¡¯t stop, instead, heading for my son who was on the swings. ¡°Valen? What happened? Did she win?¡± Dad calls out to me when I walk past him. I growl. ¡°John submitted,¡± I growled, too passed off to form words. ¡°That¡¯s a good thing, why are you upset?¡± he asked, trying to keep pace with me as I moved toward my son. ¡°She lied to me!¡± I snarled, my entire body trembled with rage. ¡°Who did?¡± ¡°Everly. She is pregnant!¡± I tell him and he grabs my arm pulling me to a stop. I nce in Everly¡¯s direction to see her chasing after me. ¡°What?¡± he asks, before holding his hand out to Everly, telling her to back off. I was d he did because I wanted to p her for what she had done. She stops, looking torn between ignoring him and listening. He shakes his head at her and I growl at her. ¡°Valen, please. Let me¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear it! Just get out of my face!¡± I snapped at her. Vrian rushes over, looking between his mother and I. He stops a couple of meters away from me. ¡°Can Vrian and I stay at your ce tonight? I can¡¯t be near her right now,¡± I asked my father. ¡°Yes. Of course,¡± he says and I walk off to get my son. I grab Vrian and pick him up. Everly rushes over trying to take him from me. Tears trekked down her face and my canines slipped out as I pushed her hands away from him. ¡°Mum!¡± Vrian screams while twisting in my arms. ¡°Valen, give him to me.¡± she says, reaching for him when dad gets between us. Vrian cries out for her when I start walking away from her heading for my car. My father, I could hear, was talking to her and trying to calm her down but I ignored her heading for the exit. ¡°What about mum?¡± Vrian cries, twisting in my arms. ¡°Stop it. You will see herter,¡± I tell him and I lift him higher, hugging him closer. ¡°Are we going home?¡± He asks me while I fiddle with the key fob as I step into the parking lot. I unlocked my car. ¡°Dad! We can¡¯t leave mum!¡± Vrian sobbed pushing on my shoulders and kicking his legs, forcing me to put him down. I growl when he takes off rushing back toward the entry. ¡°Vrian!¡± I growl while turning around to see Everly grab him. She scoops him up in her arms and my father messes his hair as I approach them to take him. ¡°I want to stay with you!¡± Vrian cries, clinging to her neck as she sets him down. ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere, you¡¯re just staying at pops for the night with daddy,¡± she says, wiping his tears. At least she wasn¡¯t fighting me on this. She pries his fingers from her neck and steers him toward the car with me following closely behind her. ¡°It¡¯s just for tonight?¡± she asks as she opens the back door. Vrian climbs in and I quickly move to clip him i n and make Everly step aside. She touches my back and I look at her over my shoulder and she removes it quickly from the angered look on my face. Shutting the door, she tries to grab my hand and I fight the urge to shift. Instead, growling at her, my aura slips out and she takes a step back, her *ss hitting the side of my car. ¡°You lied to me! Kept it from me!¡± ¡°You wouldn¡¯t have let me go through with it!¡± she snapped back as I stepped closer to her. ¡°With good reason too! You didn¡¯t just risk your life!¡± I tell her, barely holding myself together. She goes to defend herself, or exin but I cut her off before she can. ¡°Enough! You¡¯re causing a scene and scaring our son,¡± I tell her and she peers down at the window beside her. She swallows and looks back at me.https://novelebook/ ¡°You¡¯ll bring him back tomorrow?¡± she says and I clench my jaw. ¡°Valen?¡± C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. ¡°I need to go,¡± I tell her, walking off to the driver¡¯s side. My father rummages in his pockets and pulls out his keys. He passes them to her. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to him, it will be alright,¡± I hear him tell her, and she nods, taking them from him. I climb in my car, and dad jumps in the passenger side before I tear out of the parking lot. Chapter 102 Chapter 102 Valen POV Dad¡¯s ce was like a shrine of my childhood; even today, he still had my artwork framed on his walls, photos hung on the walls, and on all the furniture. Growing up, his entire life revolved around raising me, and his house showed that clearly. Despite having done some horrid things in the past; he loved me, and that much showed. One thing I loved, though, was seeing that some of Vrian¡¯s artwork and school stuff was also disyed like treasured possessions alongside mine. It was embarrassing that he kept some of this crap, yet I knew it meant something to him despite how crappy my art skills were. Dad cooked dinner for us and we watched movies, trying to keep the TV off after the media disyed everything from the challenge. Vrian didn¡¯t need to see that or be involved in adults issues, so after the fourth headline, dad put a movie on. Later that night, Vrian wouldn¡¯t sleep without talking to his mother, so I let him call her. Still, he was restless, tossing and turning on the couch as I rested my head. My father had muted the TV, and we were watching it with captions. ¡°Everly alright?¡± He asks, and I nod. ¡°I have Tatum staying with her. He is outside the door,¡± I tell him, and he nods Our argument was broadcasted across every TV station. Luckily, no one knew what it was about, and John and ire were tight¨Clipped and said noment when interviewed. John even pped one of the reporters foring too near. It was all on disy, and assumptions were made, so it would only be a matter of time before they figured it out. Dad had been quiet most of the night and let me be, though I could tell he was itching to say something. Turning my head, I looked over at him to find him watching Vrian, whose head was in my lap. ¡°Just say it. I can see it is eating you up, so out with it,¡± I tell him. Dad sighs and I turn my attention to him. ¡°Don¡®t make my mistakes,¡± he says, and I roll my eyes. ¡°I¡®m not abandoning her as you did, mum,¡± I tell him, and he takes a deep breath. He shakes his head. ¡°Your mother was a spitfire. When my father met her, he told her she would never be good enough for an Alpha. That her status was as low as a dog,¡± he says beforeughing and shaking his head. ¡°You find that funny?¡± I ask him, shocked he wouldugh over that. ¡°No, Valen. I don¡®t. I always regretted not standing up to him, but what she did next is what made me laugh,¡± he chuckles. ¡°What did she do?¡± ¡°She pped him and said, no, your son isn¡®t good enough for me, and the only fleabag was the twat standing in front of her.¡± he say thenughs. ¡°Bet grandpa didn¡¯t take that well,¡± I tell him, remembering the old prick. He was nasty right up until he died. Dad looked after him in his old age. He onlysted a year after my grandmother died. ¡°No, of course not. Yet I kept sneaking off to see her, and she did whatever she could to make sure he found out about it,¡± dad chuckled. ¡°She was right, though. I wasn¡¯t good enough for her. Your mother was tougher than I was. It wasn¡¯t about titles with her. She didn¡¯t care I was Alpha, she didn¡¯t care who my father was, and she sure as shit didn¡¯t care that she pissed him off. She and her pack of rogues turned up to every council meeting, causing havoc. Yet no matter what she did, she never admitted to anyone that I was her mate.¡± he tells me. ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked. ¡°She knew it would cost my reputation, and she didn¡®t want to ruin it. Once my father stood down and handed the title over, she hoped I would help her, back her, and im her.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you? ¡°Because I was an idiot. I was scared of my father. Scared he would do something to her or her parents, and he did; I knew if I imed her, he would kill her like he did her parents,¡± Dad says, looking down at his hands. ¡°Did she know it was him?¡± I asked him. ¡°I think she suspected it was. I never told her, but I don¡®t think I had to, so when my father found out, she was pregnant. He asked her to get rid of you. He wanted me to marry Stacey Langford, his Beta¡¯s daughter.¡± Dad swallows and clears his throat. ¡°When you were born, she had you at that hotel. She didn¡®t even tell me. I snuck over to see her and found you. Dad had me on a tight leash, even froze all my trust funds, and I hadn¡¯t seen her in months. I assumed she got rid of you, but there you were in your crib.¡± ¡°I couldn¡®t bear to leave and hid there for a few days. Dad came looking for me, of course. I always regretted that, wished I never went there because he wanted to kill you and her when he found us. He said no rogue would marry his son and taint his reputation. I convinced him to let me take you and say she died,¡± he said, and I never saw him cry, but reliving whatever memory he was stuck in, I could tell that destroyed him. ¡°When you took Vrian today, Everly had that same look on her face, sheer panic. I get you¡¯re upset, but never keep your son from her. Nothing killed me more than prying you from her arms and seeing that look on her face, hearing her beg for you back.¡± He shakes his head and wipes his face on the sleeve of his shirt. ¡°But dad would have made good on his threat. I knew that, and so did she. So she handed you over. She stopped fighting to protect you. I should have protected you both, and I failed her, and after that, she wouldn¡¯t forgive me. She even asked me to kill her and put her out of her misery,¡± he whispers the last part. ¡°I snuck you to her, but when you started asking for her, I knew I had to stop, and even she said it was too risky. If the media found out, she would be destroyed by my father, and so would I.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not taking Vrian from Everly, dad. I would never do that!¡± I tell him. ¡°I know, you¡¯re better than me, you¡¯re a better man, I know that, and I know you won¡¯t give your mate up or your kids,¡±. ¡°Then why tell me this?¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re angry because she didn¡®t tell you, but what would you have done if you knew? ¡± He asked me. ¡°Not let her enter the challenge for one,¡± I tell him and he nods. ¡°Exactly. She should have told you, but I get why she didn¡®t. She reminds me of your mother.¡± ¡°How so?¡± ¡°The fire in her, her will to fight for what¡®s right, no matter the sacrifice to herself, she would sacrifice herself for her people, and that is what a good Luna does, that is what your mother did for you and me and all the rogues when she rallied for them. I burned that fire out of your mother because I wouldn¡®t stand beside her and fight for her. Don¡®t make that mistake, don¡®t extinguish the mes that make her brilliant.¡± He says, leaning forward, he smooves Vrian¡¯s hair with his hand ¡°She didn¡¯t raise him on her own because she wanted to. She did it because she had to. The rogues to Everly is all she had, and yet you expected her to give them up and tell you? Knowing she would be forced to stand down, I know you, son. You wouldn¡¯t have let her enter, and Everly knew that too,¡± ¡°Yes, because she is pregnant!¡± I growled. ¡°And so is every other rogue that is relying on her to change thosews. If the Blood Alpha¡¯s mate can¡¯t change them, what hope do they have of it ever changing? It wasn¡¯t about telling you or about her being reckless. It was about saving those who have no voice, all those other bies that will have it hard in winter while their mothers are scraping pennies for form.¡± He retorted. I sighed and scratched the back of my neck. This was so fucked up! ¡°Everly sees the bigger picture, just like your mother did. She sees society for what it is and doesn¡¯t sugarcoat it. She knew the risks, but she did it anyway because one, she knew you wouldn¡®t let her get hurt, and two, because even if she lost, she still fought, and it would still cause change. People would remember the Blood Alpha¡¯s mate taking on her own father for the rogues, fighting for change, and change only happens when people start questioning their beliefs,¡± ¡°So you want me to forgive her just like that?¡± I asked in disbelief. ¡°No, son. I want you to stand beside her and fight for her like I wished I fought for your mother.¡± He says while leaning back. ¡°You know I will. As I said before, I am not leaving her or taking Vrian from her,¡± I tell him, looking down at my son. ¡°Then why are you here and not with her like you¡¯re supposed to be?¡± He asks, and my brows furrow. ¡°It¡®s okay to be angry, but don¡®t walk away like a coward. She will test you, but don¡®t you think you tested her enough? Five years is a long time to be on your own raising a kid and building an empire, yet she forgave you,¡± he says with a shrug. I sighed, yet I wasn¡®t sure I could face her, and I was still angry no matter her reasoning ¡°I am not saying you don¡®t have to be angry, Valen. I¡®m just saying to be there. Everly has been on her own for so long and is used to doing everything independently. It would be hard for her to rely on anyone other than herself. You don¡®t have to forgive her, but go home. At least let her know you¡®re still there, and despite being angry, you love her and are still fighting alongside her.¡±This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. Chapter 103 Chapter 103 Everly POV All night I couldn¡¯t sleep. Valen wouldn¡¯t answer any of my texts and shoved me out whenever I tried to mind ¨C link him. His silence was driving me insane, and I worried about Vrian. He sounded upset on the phone and wanted toe home, but I managed to calm him down enough and told him I would pick him up from school. Valen didn¡¯t object, so I figured he was okay with that, or at least I hoped he was. Throughout the night, I obsessed over the horrible shit that was portrayed on the news, saying Valen and I were fighting because he was cheating on me, that he finally realized Vrian wasn¡¯t his son. It was all bullshit. I knew it, they knew it, but they would do whatever they could do to sell a story. The bed felt too big without Valen in it, cold and empty, the house too quiet without him snoring beside me and making me want to smother him while he slept. Many times I got up and checked the locks and windows and checked Vrian¡¯s bed. A habit I thought I outgrew. That was something Zoe,I both did, almost like we took it in turns during the night when it was just us. We always feared it being only us in the house, knowing that rogue-whores weren¡¯t much of a fight if someone broke in, especially with my tiny wolf and hers. Yet alone, I found myself reverting back to old habits and nearly had a panic attack when I realized Vrian wasn¡¯t in his bed when I checked. I kept reminding myself he was safe with his father, yet knowing that and seeing it for myself were two different things. Maybe if he wasn¡¯t angry with me, I would be fine. Because I never had this issue when Vrian would sleep at Kalen¡¯s, I knew it was because I was entirely alone and without having anything to distract me reminded me of being on my own in my car, only this time I was in a huge empty penthouse, yet the feeling was still the same.. Having just closed my eyes, I heard the front doors lock twist and click, which had me sitting upright. Panic coursed through me and my hand instantly searched for Valen in the bed before remembering he wasn¡¯t here. My heart thumped in my chest as I crept toward the hall when Valen¡¯s voice flitted through my head. ¡°Calm down. It¡¯s just me. Don¡¯t hit me with anything; I am carrying our son,¡± he mind linked, and I let out a breath of relief. Walking down the hall, I see him step out of the entryway and into the dim lighting. I left the stove light on, and as I stepped into the living area, I saw Valen was carrying Vrian, who was asleep in his arms. It was a little after midnight, and I moved closer, wanting to take him but Valen turned away. ¡°Get his bed ready. I will carry him,¡± Valen whispers, and I nod, rushing off down the hall and pulling his sheets back. I step aside, flicking on his nightlight and lighting the ceiling up with his sr system projection. Valen sets him in his bed, tucks him in, and relief floods me that Vrian is home. Although when I moved to kiss his head, Valen walked out without a word to me. I heard him walk into the bathroom down the hall before the shower started. Checking the front door was locked, I went and climbed back into bed. Valen came in a few minutester in his towel. Once again, he said nothing, and I could feel he was still angry, so I let him be. Yet when he got dressed and grabbed his pillow, I knew he wasn¡¯ting to bed. Instead, he walked out of the room, and my stomach twisted, knowing he was still so angry with me that he wouldn¡¯t even sleep in the bed beside me. At least he was home. Maybe now I could get some form of sleep. No such luck. It took hours to sleep as I stared at the ceiling. The following morning, I was awoken by morning sickness. It sent me running for the bathroom as I heaved and threw up the contents of my stomach, sttering the front of my pajamas in my vomit. It was early in the morning, and it was the first time I woke up needing to be sick. My stomach turned violently when I felt Valen¡¯s fingertips brush the back of my neck and pull my hair away from my face. Catching my breath, I feel him sweep my hair over my shoulder before he wet a face cloth and handed it to me. ¡°Are you alright?¡± I nodded my head, feeling breathless. My throat was raw and burning, wiping my mouth and he walked out. Climbing in the shower, Valen walks back in. He was already dressed, and he ced a towel on the sink basin. I watched him scoop up my dirtyundry, and when he went to walk out, I called out to him. ¡°Are you leaving early?¡± I asked him. C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. ¡°I¡¯m going with dad. I already packed Vrian¡¯s lunch. It is on the counter,¡± he says, walking out and shutting the door. So I guess unless it was to do with Vrian, we weren¡¯t on speaking terms. It saddened me, but right now, I would take anything. It was better than nothing. When I finished showering, I hopped out, and I could hear that Valen was getting Vrian up and ready for school. Walking into the room, I sigh when I see Valen has set my clothes out on the bed. Quickly changing into my work clothes, I wanted to try to speak to him before he left, but Vrian was animatedly telling him about something while he ate his coco pops. Valen watches me as I walk into the kitchen before sliding a cup of tea in front of me and my breakfast. I scrunch my face up at the tea. I hated tea, and I wanted coffee, yet when I went to look for it, he cleared his throat. ¡°I tossed it out. You shouldn¡¯t drink so much caffeine. Also, there are prenatal vitamins above the microwave. Make sure you take them, and you have a doctor¡¯s appointment tomorrow at 2 pm and an ultrasound,¡± he says, and I nod, wanting to speak to him, but he turned his attention to Vrian. ¡°Why is mum going to the doctor¡¯s?¡± Vrian asked, looking at me. ¡°Because mummy is having a baby,¡± Valen tells him, kissing his head and grabbing his suit jacket. ¡°Behave for your mother. I will see you in the morning.¡± Valen tells him before walking off. ¡°Wait, you¡¯re not picking me up from school?¡± Vrian asks, twisting in his seat to look at his father. ¡°No, I am going with pop and won¡¯t be back untilte tonight,¡± ¡°Where are you going?¡± I ask him. To pick up that part with dad, I have to go; I need to pick him up because you have his car,¡± Valen tells me and I went to grab his father¡¯s keys and turned around to retrieve them out of my bag. By the time I did, Valen had already left. I sighed before pouring the tea down the sink, and I couldn¡¯t wait to get to work to make a coffee, though I wasn¡¯t sure my belly would handle it with how my stomach wastely. The smell alone has made me sick a few times, yet I still craved my morning hit of caffeine. The day went by slowly, time really dragging out. I spent all morning at the hotel talking to contractors. They were slowly getting everything done, but it would be a few months before we would be able to reopen. So after lunch, I went to the homeless shelter and continued doing my mural. It wasing along nicely and I met with the sign fabricator before picking up Vrian from school to approve the final design. I wanted Valen toe with me to the sign design but I suppose he will see it when it set atop the old school. Pulling up out front of the school, I receive a text message from him. Valen: Don¡¯t forget to pick up Vrian from school. I texted him back saying I was out front of the school already and asked roughly what time he would be home, yet he never replied. With a sigh, I tossed my phone into my handbag and waited for the bell. Once home, I cooked dinner while Vrian did his homework. Everything was very routine, after dinner, he had a bath, I showered then put Vrian to bed. I managed to sneak a small jar of coffee home, hiding it in the back of the pantry. Once Vrian was tucked in bed, I made a coffee, intending to wait up for Valen. I went over the hotel ounts and paid some of the bills that were outstanding, watching our funds slowly dwindle away, but we would grow again, that much I was certain of. When finished, I messaged my father asking for the pack ountant¡¯s details. Me: Can you send me the pack¡¯s ounts details, and the ounts and assets inventory? Dad: If you want, I can meet you for lunch tomorrow and go over everything. I will have to sign the deed to the pack house over to you. Me: No, keep it in your name. I am not taking your house. Just make sure you leave it to Ava in yours and mum¡¯sst will and testament. Dad: You¡¯re not kicking us out? Me: No, of course not. It¡¯s your home. You¡¯re still my parents and part of my pack now. I just need to clean up the pack finances, you can still run things on your end. Dad: Where do you want to meet tomorrow? Me: Can you meet me at the homeless shelter? I will be there most of the day. Dad: Can you bring Vrian? Your mother and I would like to see him? His message shocked me, and I chewed my lip, debating what to reply. Me: If Valen says it is ok. Dad: Okay, I¡¯m sorry he found out the way he did. Hope you are both doing well, we haven¡¯t spoken to the media or told them. See you tomorrow. Me: Night dad. Dad: Goodnight, Evie. See you tomorrow. I will text when I am on my way. Well, that went better then I thought. Dad and I managed to have a civil conversation, something I wasn¡¯t expecting after the challenge. It was hours and early morning before I heard the key in the door. I nce at the hall leading to the front door to see Valen step in. He quietly walks in before noticing themp on beside me. He drops his keys into the bowl on the hall stand. ¡°How was your day?¡± I ask him. ¡°Long,¡± Was all he answered before he went to head down the hall. He retrieves a towel from the linen cupboard and walks into the bathroom. Packing myptop up, I walked to the bathroom door and gripped the door handle, but he locked it. I sighed and knocked on the door, yet he ignores me. I knew he heard me because I could feel his annoyance. ¡°I am having lunch with my father tomorrow and I wanted to take Vrian. Mum and Dad want to see him?¡± I call out to him through the door. Yet Valen chooses to ignore me and I hear the water shut off. Sighing, I move back to the couch and wait for him toe out. He does, walking off toward the bedroom before returning with his pillow and nket. ¡°Did you hear me?¡± I asked him. Though I knew he did because I felt his annoyance earlier. ¡°Do what you want, you do anyway,¡± is all he says. Valen chucks his pillow on the couch and his nket. ¡°Are you seriously going to just keep ignoring me?¡± I ask him. ¡°I have nothing to say, Everly. It¡¯ste, I want to go to bed,¡± he says and I press my lips in a line before getting up. ¡°Don¡¯t forget you have the ultrasound tomorrow at 2 PM,¡± he says as I start walking off. ¡°I am not sure what time I am meeting dad,¡± I tell him. ¡°Well, you won¡¯t be meeting him at 2 PM, will you!¡± he says before shutting themp off and sending the living room into total darkness. ¡°Are youing to it?¡± I ask him, wondering if I was doing this alone, myst experience wasn¡¯t the best and I couldn¡¯t even afford to go to ultrasound appointments, I had to choose between eating for the next week or not eating and going to the appointment. The only one I had besides my initial one was at 20 weeks and I found out Vrian was a boy The only reason I got to go to that one was that I slipped over at the Chinese restaurant and my boss was worried I would try sue, so he took me to the hospital and they did one because I started bleeding. They put me on bedrest like that was actually a possibility, instead, I was back to scrubbing dishes only hourster. I tried to remind myself this time was different. Yet I dreaded being pregnant, it terrified me. However, things had changed but one bad experience was enough to ruin this pregnancy for me already. I shudder when I think of giving birth, how the midwives sneered and taunted me while I cried in agony, the hunger from trying to breastfeed and not getting enough food dried my supply up quickly, if it wasn¡¯t for Macey I would have starved those few days. Who would have thought the offer of a muslie bar would start a lifelong friendship. Yet the worst was seeing everyone¡¯s familiese to meet their new family member while not one person from my previous life remembered I existed. ¡°Yes, Everly, so don¡¯t bete,¡±Valen says, pulling me from my thoughts, he moves around on the couch and makes himselffortable. ¡°You can sleep in the bed,¡± I offer suddenly not wanting to be alone. He says nothing and I wanted to climb on the couch with him, just so I could shake the dread away. I take a step toward him to see if he would let me when speaks. ¡°Go to bed, Everly,¡± he says and tears prick my eyes as I turn around and head for bed. I don¡¯t know what is worse, being alone or having a mate and feeling alone. Another night of restless sleep and checking the damn locks. Fine, not like I haven¡¯t been on my own, I was no stranger to loneliness. Loneliness was something ingrained and woven through me, yet why did it hurt more now? Chapter 104 Chapter 104 Valen POV Rolling over on the couch, I am awoken by a noise up the hall. I rub my eyes and can feel that Everly is awake through the bond. I could hear her at the back of the ce, rummaging around and doing something. I try to go back to sleep but when I hear tiptoed foot steps in the hall. 1 crack an eye open to see her go to the front door, whispering under her breath to herself. I sit up, wondering where she is going sote at night. I hear the door unlock, then relock before hearing her footsteps again. ¡°What are you doing?¡± I grumble and she jumps startled. ¡°Nothing. Was making sure we locked the door,¡± she answers before padding off back down the hall. Now awake I got up to get a drink, yet she felt off through the bond, it made me wonder why she felt scared? The scariest thing in this damn ce was lying on the lounge! Did she really think I would let someone in to get to them? Lying back down, I tried to go back to sleep. I was in that part of sleep when you are asleep yet also not, my ears prick at soft footsteps again, only this time she was checking the balcony doors. What is she expecting? Someone to scale up the side of the hotel? I watch her trying to ignore the nagging of the bond when she goes to the front door again. ¡°You already checked it,¡± I say she stops and I could just see her from where Iy, she was standing in the hall, she rubs her temples and goes to walk back to our room when she pauses and walks back to the front door. ¡°Everly, I said you already checked it,¡± I growl at her. ¡°I just need to be sure,¡± she mutters and I listen to her twist the locks and relock them again. I click my tongue and sigh listening to her walk off again when Marcus tugs on the mind-link. ¡°You just got home? I thought thepany driver was meeting you halfway. Why are you up?¡± Marcus asks. ¡°They did meet us halfway, dad and I took turns driving. And to answer your other question, because Everly keeps checking the damn locks,¡± ¡°You two still not talking?¡± he asks. ¡°I don¡¯t want to upset her, I have nothing nice to say right now,¡± I admit, feeling like a damn asshole but I didn¡¯t know what else to feel. I was angry and words stung so I didn¡¯t want to throw them out in anger and upset her. ¡°Try and get some sleep. I will be by at 7 AM to pick you up,¡± he says, cutting the link. Thest thing I wanted to do was go see Nixon, but after what we found out off John I needed to investigate, though I don¡¯t see him being cooperative. I try to sleep, I catch a couple of hours when I hear the damn lock twist on the front door again, ignoring her, I listen as she checks the balcony doors, then the window. She was driving me up the damn wall but when I heard her check the kitchen window I sat up. Vrian would struggle to fit through it, let alone any ninja that managed to scale up the building. She rushes back off to the bedroom and I shake my head,ying back down and closing my damn eyes only to feel eyes on me a few minutester. Unease rolls over me and I knew she was awake. What I wasn¡¯t expecting was to open my eyes as I rolled over to find her next to me.I near shit my pants and jumped out of my skin. She jumps in fright when I do and I groaned clutching my hair. ¡°What?!¡± I snap, annoyed. I had spent all dann day and night in a fucking car and now all night with her, waking me up every goddamn second. I growled at her and sat up only to notice her nket and pillow on the floor next to the couch. The look on her face made me feel like a prick for snapping at her when it clicked into ce, she said nothing but I don¡®t miss the way her lip quivers as she stood up to go back to the room. I grip her wrist as she reaches to grab her nket, and I can feel the tremble in her hand. I lift the nket and tug her on the couch with me. The stupid bond! She rolls into me and I slide my arm under her head so she can bury her face in my neck. She says nothing and falls asleep almost instantly while I found myself now unable to sleep trying to understand her strange action and the weird look of fright but also humiliation on her face like she was caught doing something she shouldn¡®t. Her breathing evens out, her heart rate slows falling in sync with mine and her scent calms me as I tuck her closer and I eventually fall asleep. i The following morning however I wondered if I dreamt it because I was on the couch alone and Vrian and Everly were nowhere to be seen. I reached for my phone to find missed calls from Marcus, it was 10AM. I open the mindlink and feel for Marcus tether, he answers immediately. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you wake me?¡± I snarl at him. ¡°I tried but Everly said she kept you upst night and to let you sleep,¡± ¡°Fuck! I¡®m getting ready now,¡± Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°All good, I cancelled with Nixon until tomorrow, he said he had to leave the city anyway.¡± I sit up and rub my face. ¡°What time?¡± I ask and yawn. ¡°11 AM tomorrow, go back to bed,¡± Marcus says but I shake my head before remembering he can¡¯t see me. ¡°No, I need to check the homeless shelter anyway. Make sure you wake me tomorrow. I don¡®t care if I am tired or she keeps me up, we need to get this meeting out of the way and see his reaction,¡± I tell him. ¡°Okay, well John just got to Zoe¡®s ce with Everly so I should go,¡± Marcus says. ¡°Wait, Everly is with you? Where is Vrian?¡± ¡°At school, she dropped Vrian here at 5AM this morning and asked us to run him to school so she could get an early start on her mural. Zoe and I dropped him to school for her,¡± ¡°So she didn¡¯t take him to see John and ire?¡± I asked him. ¡°No, Everly didn¡®t want to upset you and bring him without your permission, though ire looks pretty upset he isn¡¯t here.¡± Marcus answers. ¡°Is Everly ok?¡± I ask him, slightly worried since she didn¡¯t wake me. I didn¡¯t even hear her leave. ¡°Yes, why wouldn¡¯t she be?¡± ¡°Because she kept checking the damn locks all night, she seemed frightened, maybe meeting her father had her anxious.¡± ¡°Ah, yeah, Zoe does that. Drives me nuts, anxiety, Zoe takes medication for hers, but isn¡®t so bad when I am here. Old habits die hard,¡± Marcus says with a sigh. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°The girls, Zoe said they hated living at the back of the hotel because it was so close to the reserve, she said they were always paranoid about forsaken breaking in and taking the kids, apparently they had a few scares here. Everly must have been scared. Anyway, I know she said she is going to the homeless shelterter, her sign is finished so is she going to watch them set it up at ipm, maybe you will catch her there¡± ¡°Okay, thanks. Mind¨Clink me if John tries anything,¡°I tell him before I cut the link. Walking to the bathroom, I shower to try to wake up. Pondering what Marcus said about the girls, did that mean Everly didn¡¯t feel safe here with me. I didn¡¯t understand it, she was fine before and it¡®s the first time I had seen her do it. Getting out I got dressed and I couldn¡®t believe I wasted an entire morning, since I knew Everly was going to be at the homeless shelter, I made sure to meet her there so I could take her to her appointment, I went to my father¡®s ce for lunch then I drove over to the homeless shelter to see a crane lifting a huge sign on top of the building but my eyes were drawn to the mural that was out the front. Climbing out of the car, I could see she had finished it but my footsteps halted as I stopped at the front gates and stared up at my mother. Everly I could see was guiding the men on the cherry picker telling them the sign wasn¡®t straight as they attached it above the murial and front doors leading in. My eyes roamed over the huge mural,st time I saw it was a nk canvas which had me questioning what she was doing. One side of the wall was the woman I remember from the pictures I had seen that Everly had shown me. She had used the photo but instead of Everly, Zoe, and Macey beside her like in the photo, my mothers arm was tossed over the shoulder of Emily, and her son stood between them both. I felt like an asshole, she got up this morning to finish this despite us arguing, emotion clogged my throat as I stared up at the women that influenced my mate most, and made her into who she is today. Dad¡®s words came back to me about how the rogues were all she had and seeing my mother up on the wall I now knew what he meant. This was my mother but she was also Everly¡®s and now I understood why Everly went ahead with her challenge, it wasn¡®t just for the rogues, it was for mum! She wanted to fix the one thing she couldn¡®t. Walking over to Everly she stared up at the sign the men were cing in the brackets, she was covered in paint and sweaty from the hot day. I wrap my arms around her waist and she jumps. ¡°Thank you,¡± I whisper, kissing her cheek. She sighs and up points to the sign. I look up and watch as the men peal the white film covering the sign and revealing the writing beneath. ¡®Valerie¡®s ce¡® ¨C Where your vige begins. ¡°Now no one will forget her name,¡± Everly whispers. I swallow at her words and tears burn my eyes, she did this in honor of mum and for me. It was perfect. Chapter 105 Chapter 105 Everly POV I worked on this mural all morning, and I finally had the sign arriving today. So when dad and mum left after lunch, 1 headed back over to the shelter when I got the text message saying the sign was ready to be ced. The meeting with my parents went well, but the pack¡¯s finances were destroyed. Dad was using loans to pay off loans which only gave him more debt, and I had to think of a way to absolve all the debt, I was in over my head and with Valen not speaking to me, I didn¡¯t know anyone that could help without selling off the pack assets. What savings I did have weren¡¯t enough to cover the debt and the Hotel, and I wasn¡¯t about to ask Valen for the money. Then there was the contract between my father and Nixon, who held the pack as coteral to the debt my father owed, and I didn¡¯t have millions packed away, dad had kept up his repayments, but all those repayments were loans from the bank too, All the pack businesses were in the red, but luckily I noticed that a few of the loans taken out were through two of the banks owned by Valen¡¯s pack, so maybe I could have the interest rate lowered or relinquish those businesses back to the bank to. remove those debts without filing bankruptcy. I paid most of them straight off today, but therger sums I had no way to cover, Ci3jc[?N then there was the debt to Nixon. I had called Kalen and asked him about it since he handled most of Valen¡¯s ounting, and he said there was no way around the contract that was drawn up, that now that debt was mine because it was put on the pack¡¯s finances, not on my father¡¯s personal finances. Which left me with two options, sell what remaining assets my father¡¯s pack has or try to get a loan, which I didn¡¯t want to get into more debt. Dad had six months left to pay off Nixon or the pack, and all its assets andnd belonged to him. Dad still owed him 1.6 million, and i knew my Hotel¡¯snd alone was worth more than that, but I wasn¡¯t willing to give it up. That ce wasn¡¯t just mine, so now I was debating to see if, once fixed, if Valen¡¯s pack would buy it, so I wasn¡¯t losing it, and neither were the rogues, but with how angry he was, I wasn¡¯t sure if he would help even if it was his mothers. Pulling up at the homeless shelter, I checked on Macey and Zoe, who left a little before me to pick up the kids and meet me here. They were inside the rec room, putting up thest finishing touches. It looked great inside, and I quickly kissed Vrian before rushing back out. I checked to make sure the paint was dry first, and it was. Seeing Vrie up on the wall made tears spring to my eyes. Out of every mural I had done, this was my favorite, maybe because of its meaning. I just hoped Valen liked it and the one I did inside the rec room. I watched as they put it up and instructed them to move the bracket a little higher on the left as it was a little crooked, and I knew it would set off Valen¡¯s OCD that he believes he didn¡¯t have. They set it in the brackets when I feel arms circle around my waist, and I am tugged backward against his hard chest. His scent enveloped me. I was so preupied I hadn¡¯t even realized he was here. ¡°Thank you,¡± Valen whispered, kissing my cheek I looked up and pointed to the sign. Valen tilts his head up to see, and I watch as the men peel the white film covering the sign. ¡®Valerie¡¯s ce¡¯ ¨C Where your vige begins. ¡°Now, no one will forget her name,¡± I whispered. ¡°Is that mum¡¯s handwriting?¡± he asks, choking on emotion a little. ¡°Yep, I used the letters and blew it up so I could transfer her handwriting,¡± I tell him. Turning my face to his, he rests his chin on my shoulder ¡°I¡¯m sorry I didn¡®t tell you,¡± I told him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, you felt you needed to hide it from me,¡± he says, kissing the side of my mouth. ¡°Do you like it?¡± I ask him. ¡°Love it,¡± ¡°Thene on, I want to show you something else,¡± I tell him¡¯excitedly. ¡°There is more?¡± he asks, and I nod, grabbing his hand around my waist and walking to the front doors. I grab two hard hats and drop one on his head. Vrian¡¯s, Casey¡¯s, and Taylor¡¯s voices reach our ears, and Valen squeezes my hand. ¡°Vrian is here?¡± ¡°Yep, the girls picked the kids up on the way over after dad left. We promised they could help with this part. Vrian asked mest night. They helped me pick out the framesst week,¡± I tell him, tugging him down the hall. We stopped in the mess hall that had been done up as a huge living area for those that came here. It was the first ce that Valen had done up. It had a kids¡¯ y area, three huge din ing tables, and on the other side was done up with a huge TV and couches. But the walls looked bare, so I wanted to do something in here too, so it felt more homely for those staying here. Valen stops at the double door leading in and gasps. Vrian spins on his heel, noticing his father, and squeals rushing over excitedly. Valen stares around the enormous room and scoops Vrian up when he rushes over. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, dad? Don¡¯t you like it?¡± Vrian asks when seeing his father be teary-eyed. ¡°No, I love it,¡± he chokes out. All of Vrie¡¯s banners from her protesting days were framed on the walls. Along with the blown-up newspaper articles about her efforts to change the city were also blown up and framed. On the far wall was another painting I did of Vrie, using the photo of her standing on the cop car, a banner raised above her head which read ¡°No Packs, One people¡±. It took up an entire wall. This is who Vrie is and despite Valen not knowing her, he would know how many lives his mother changed. Valen sets Vrian down, and Vrian tugs him over to the wall that was full of handprints, rogue handprints. Everyone that knew Vrie had put their handprints on the wall and wrote something about her on each one. Hundreds sat on the wall, showing how many lives she had touched over the years. 2 Macey and Zoee over to me. Macey rests her head on my shoulder, and Zoe leans against me. ¡°She would love this,¡± Zoe says, and I nod as I watch Vrian point out his handprint, his read ¡®My Nana¡¯ ¡°No, she would ask why we are dredging up the past and tell us to get back to work,¡± Macey chuckles, and so do I. She was right, Vrie was a tough cookie to crack, yet when she did, she crumbled. Valen stood by the wall reading each one, and I moved away from the girls to go over to him, I touched his back, and he looked down at me, tears trekking down his face. ¡°It¡¯s dusty in here,¡± he grumbles, wiping his face. ¡°Pretty sure I saw someone cutting onions back there,¡± Macey says,ing up on his other side and gripping his shoulder. Heughs and tugs me closer, hugging me and kissing the top of my head. Reaching over, he grabbed Macey and Zoe to embrace us all. ¡°Thank you,¡± he says to all of us. ¡°You should be proud, Valen. She was an amazing woman. I wish you got to know her as we did, but we will always remind you of who she was, and there is no bigger reminder of her than the woman who carries your mark,¡± Zoe says, and I smile sadly. I feel him nod against my shoulder, ¡°Fuck, the dust is terrible in here,¡± Macey mutters, and Valenughs. ¡°Fucking tertible,¡± Valerughs. He lets us go and wipes his face, and looks around. This is amazing,¡± he says, and I couldn¡¯t agree more when my phone beeps in my pocket. It was a reminder to go to the ultrasound. I pull it out and sigh. ¡°Want me to take Vrian?¡± Zoe asks, but I shake my head. ¡°No, he cane with me,¡± I tell her, and she nods before rushing off to wrangle the kids and I look at Valen nervously. ¡°You¡¯re stilling with me?¡± I ask Valen, and he gives me a funny look. ¡°Of course, you aren¡¯t alone this time, Everly. I will be right beside you every step of the way,¡± he says, draping his arm across my shoulders. He tips my chin up to look at him. ¡°Mine,¡± he whispers, leaning down and kissing my lips before his hand drops to my stomach. ¡°Ours,¡± he says, rubbing my belly. ¡°Don¡¯t ever doubt that. I will never leave you to do this on your own, not again, no matter what,¡± he says, kissing my temple. 1 I sighed, relieved; I don¡¯t think I could do it again by myself. Thest time I had Vrie, she was a godsend, but I would have if I had to ¡°Come on,¡± he whispers, holding his hand out to Vrian. He waves to the girls, and we go to the Doctor in Valen¡¯s car. Pulling up at the Doctor¡¯s, nerves kicked in, and Vrian asked why we were there. ¡°Because mum has to get a check-up, and then we get to see the baby,¡± Valen tells him. 1 ¡°Will we find out if the boy wrestling worked?¡± Vrian asks. ¡°No, not for a while, and it will probably look like a jelly bean,¡± Valenughs. Vrian scrunches his face up, looking confused. This time around, it was different. My father was not here to demand I abort; no judgment, no worry as I waited for the urine test toe back. Once it was confirmed, Doc took blood samples before leading us down the hall to where they did ultrasounds. ¡°You can lie down,¡± Doc says while motioning toward the gurney. Iy on it, lifting my shirt, and Vrian watches with avid fascination as the Doctor squirts the jelly on my belly. He fiddles with the device, and after a few minutes, we hear the heartbeat, and I sighed, not realizing how worried I was about the fetus. During the challenge, I was so concerned with protecting my stomach that I could hardly fight. I was making sure to pick my moves and keep my abdomen out of reach. I would hate to see a rey of it because not much action happened in it. Dad was worried about hurting me, and I was concerned about hurting myself, so it probably looked more like a synchronized dance than an actual fight. 1 ¡°There we are,¡± Doc says, and I peer up at the screen. He takes some measurements of the sac before I squint at the screen when he moves to the next. ¡°Wait!¡± I gasp, and Doc chuckles. ¡°I wondered when you would notice the other one,¡± heughs, and Valen looks between the Doctor and me. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± he asks, sounding frantic. ¡°Nothing, Alpha, both heartbeats are strong,¡± Doc says, and Valen sighs, leaning back. ¡°Wait! Both?¡± Valen shrieks, leaning forward and looking at the screen, and making Vrian fall off his lap. ¡°Yep, you¡®re having twins,¡± Doc tells him, and his eyes widen. He looked horrified, and Iughed at his face. He looked like he was calcting some math equations. 2 ¡°Two, there are two in there? Are you sure?¡± he asks, looking at my stomach. 1 ¡°Yep, definitely two,¡± Doc says, pointing at the screen to show him. ¡°That is so many diapers, we are never gonna sleep again,¡± Valen whispers, shaking his head and trying to wrap his head around it. ¡°Twins, mum is having twins?¡± Vrian gushes. ¡°Yep, you are going to have two-¡± ¡°Two brothers! This is awesome. Can they sleep in my room?¡± Vrian says, cutting me off. Iugh, and Doc chuckles. ¡°What if they are girls?¡± Doc asks. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Na, Mum and Dad promised to wrestle in the boy way, right, dad?¡± Vrian says, tapping his father¡¯s shoulder while Valen appears in shock. ¡°Ah, yeah, right in the boy¡¯s way,¡± Valen mumbles, staring at the screen. ¡°See, I¡¯m gonna have two brothers,¡± Vrian deres. ¡°If you say so,¡± Docughs. Chapter 106 Chapter 106 Valen POV Docughs at Vrian , who excitedly bounces the balls of his feet as the doctor points to the two beating sacs .Yet I couldn¡¯t sit still .This was too much information to process .I expected one . Was it hot in here ? I tug at my tie , and Everly reaches for my hand when I stand up .I was overheating . Doc falls silent again .He squirts more jelly on her belly , turning the screen away for a second , he clears his throat , and tugs on the cor of his shirt . I stop my pacing and notice him bing a little nervous as he moves the device . Vrian was babbling happily about the twin brothers he thinks he will have .His nervousness had me ufortable .Why did he turn the screen away ? Doc , is everything alright ? " I asked , now suddenly frightened something was wrong with my twins I wasn¡¯t expecting . "Maybe you should take a seat , Alpha , " Doc says , and I froze . Something was wrong .I nce at Everly , and her fear is just as bad . Everly leans up on her elbows to look at Doc . "Take a seat , " Doc says he motions toward the chair Yet now he had me panicking . I didn¡¯t necessarily want twins , but the thought of something being wrong with them made my heart race faster and my stomach dropped .I shake my head . "Just spit it out , Doc , " I snap , bing annoyed . "It appears I was wrong about there being twins ." I clutch my hair and let out a breath . "Oh , thank the goddess , " I sighed . "It¡¯s not twins ? " Vrian asks , pouting . "No , I found another heartbeat ! " I nod along at his words : Thank god I wasn¡¯t looking forward to never sleeping again . "What ! " Everly shrieks , "but I saw two sacs ." Doc holds his hands out in an apologetic gesture . I know she was outraged , but this was a good thing , I nned for one . "I was wrong ; I found another so you¡¯re having triplets , "Doc and I blink .I says , must have heard that wrong . "Triplets , " I murmur , looking at Doc and he turns the screen . "Yep , Everly is five weeks along and baby A , B , and this one Baby C was hiding behind the other .I thought it was a shadow . " Doc says while pointing at the screen , My vision tunneled and his words faded away along with the room . I fainted ! My head pounded as I opened my eyes to Everly¡¯s worried face hovering above me . She taps my face with her hand before sighing . "Thank god , and why are you fainting ? You don¡¯t have to carry them ? " sheughs . "Please tell me that was a dream .Are we having a litter ? " I mumble incoherently . "Ah , no , there are definitely three .We finished the scan while you were ah ¡­ napping , " Everly says , holding up the scan .I snatch it off her and peer up at it . "I will give you both a moment , " Doc says , leaving the room . "We are having triplets ! " I repeat , trying to wrap my head around that information . I had some super sperm .I should be selling that shit ! This was a damn nightmare , and she was getting her damn tubes tied afterward . "Valen ? " Everly says , staring at me worriedly .Man , how embarrassing ? "You didn¡¯t tell anyone I fainted , did you ? Everly presses her lips in a line and shakes her head .join telegram fortest update " Nope , "she says , but I could feel her lie . "Who did you tell ? " "Marcus , you were out for about ten minutes .I thought I was going to have to carry you back to the car , " she says and I huff . Great , he would never let me live it down . "Did you tell him why ? " "No , Doc said it was too early .Best not to announce it until I hit 12 weeks ." That makes sense , but I knew Vrian would b to the girls .His excitement was kind of annoying , yet also contagious . I look at the small scan in my hand before getting to my feet . "Give me your keys .I am driving , " Everly says , holding her hands out for them . I reluctantly give them to her before following her out to the car . Triplets . What the heck was I going to do with triplets ? I pictured one baby , and I ended up with a damn litter ! Well , almost . My head was spinning the entire way home . Vrian was chatting away happily about his baby brothers . Please , Moon Goddess , be boys .He would be on the warpath otherwise . Vrian was already picking out names and they haven¡¯t even got a brain yet ! Literally , a heartbeat , and that is it . She was only five weeks pregnant , so we still had 35 weeks left . "Are you alright ? " Everly asks me . I swallowed . Mentally , I prepared myself for one , but now there would be three . Three ! "Yep , fine , " I tell her , a little embarrassed that I fainted on her . Thankfully , the drive home was uneventful , but I had so much to do tomorrow . Marcus and I were going to visit Nixon tomorrow . Everly told me her ns over dinner . She was meeting with her father¡¯s ountant and checking over some business ounts , both us were going to busy . I had just put Vrian to bed when I heard Everly curse from the living room . Walking out , she turned the news up , What is it ? " I ask , but she holds a finger to her lips when I see Nixon was in some sort of conference meeting with one of the news channels . I move toward the couch and sit beside her .She turns it up a little more . So this is why Nixon didn¡¯t want to meet today . He was doing damage control . I growl as I watch him give some sob story , which I knew was a lie . My father told me the real story . He handed himself in , knowing we were onto him . He tells the news reporter he was trying to find a cure for his sick daughter , leaving out the part he abandoned her to her mother . Instead , iming she had been sick all her life , and he was trying to find a cure , that he had top leading scientists working on a vine . He knew we were going to uncover everything , and we blew our chance . He painted himself a saint , so when this came out , he already had an exnation . He made it look like Leah , his mate , "dumped her kids on him , including a sick baby , before running off with another man . "What is he doing ? He is admitting everything ? " Everly exims . "Damage control .He knew he was about to be busted .Nixon covered his tracks and got those in the city on the side ." We listen a little more and it was clear to me this was his way of covering up . He then says he tried to offer me the Vine for Emily and Ben , but I refused .He was trying to save his reputation while destroying mine . Everly¡¯s phone starts ringing , and so does mine . Pulling it out of my pocket , I see it is Marcus calling . I quickly answer it . "Are you seeing the news ? Nixon is being broadcasted across every station , " Marcus tells me . "Yep , I am watching it now , " I tell him and I hear Everly on her phone talking to someone . It only takes me a moment before I realize it is her father . "Dad , slow down , let me think .You need to calm down .I will think of something , " I hear Everly tell him when the Mind ¨C link also opens up , and my father¡¯s voice rushes through my head before utter chaos ensues when every pack member suddenly starts trying to alert us through the pack link . Everly screams , clutching her head , and my head spins as voices flit through the open link . Dropping my phone , I race to her before booming through the link . "Don¡¯t use the mind link .We are aware ! " I order my pack before shoving them . They would give one of us an aneurysm . I help Everly to sit on the couch before flicking the damn TV off . John , I could hear , was calling out to her , and I looked around for her phone and found it on the floor . Picking it up , he screeches in my ear . This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. "Everly , what¡¯s going on ? Do you need me toe over ? " John says , sounding rather panicked . "She is fine .The pack link overwhelmed her , " I tell him , moving into the kitchen . "What is it you want ? We already know of Nixon¡¯s bullshit interview ? " "I rang for the same reason and also to warn her that Nixon has told me if I don¡¯t verify this to the media , he was stopping ire¡¯s treatment , " "Fuck ! " I curse under my breath . I fill a ss with water , take it back to Everly , and pass it to her , watching as she sips it . "What happens if she doesn¡¯t get the vine ? " I ask . "She will eventually turn forsaken , " John says . "I have another dose , but it will hold it off another month .She needs that vine every month .I am sorry , but I have no choice , Valen ." I growl . He gets up there and states Nixon¡¯s ims are valid , and it was going to cause a rift between all the packs and the rogues . "Wait ! You have one Vine left ? "I asked . "Yes , so ? " John says . "Give me the Vine .I will see if any of our doctors can replicate it and if we can¡¯t , then go public as he wants ." "I haven¡¯t got the money to fund a science team .Everly has seen my pack¡¯s ounts , " John tells me , "I will pay for it , but if you have to go public , you out Nixon , you tell them everything , even if you are involved in any of it , you go public .It will force him to hand the vine over to ire and buy us some more time to prove a case against him , " I tell him , and I see Everly¡¯s head turn to look at me as she listened in on the conversation . "Or better yet , we beat him at his own game , tell them about ire , paint him as the hero and tell the city he promised to give her the vine free of charge .If he backs out and , I know he won¡¯t , it would backfire on him , and it gives us time to work out a cure while she receives " I tell John . I could hear John treatment , ¡® talking to ire in a calm voice before returning to the discussion . "I get seen going over there .Nixon will know we are talking , " John says , and I look at Everly . We go over there . Nixon will definitely know , yet one of the rogues might be able to meet John somewhere . "I will send Macey to the service station near your ce , give it to her , " I tell him and we discuss details of the time , etcetera . Everly uses my phone to ring her and gives Macey her father¡¯s number . Once we hang up , we wait . Chapter 107 Chapter 107 Everly POV Macey dropped the vial offter that night. However, when I heard the knock and opened the door, I was stunned to see Tatum with her. I knew they were close, but to see him with her sote at night made me wonder if more was going on than them than just being friends with benefits. Macey, noticing my shock at seeing him, speaks. ! ¡°Oh, we weren¡¯t¡­ Tatum just came with me just in case,¡± ¡°You woke Tatum up at one in the morning to see my dad? You sure he wasn¡¯t already at your ce?¡± I laugh, raising an eyebrow. I don¡¯t understand why she was being so secretive about it. No one would care, but I knew Macey still hated packs, so I wondered if it was because he was one of Valen¡¯s pack members. I let them in and walked into the kitchen to make coffee. ¡°Hey, Mace,¡± Valen says as hees into the kitchen to help. Only then do I realize that Valen would see it by me getting my hidden coffee out. He snatches it off the counter the moment i set it down. ¡°No caffeine. You¡¯re pregnant,¡± Valen growls, BK6lf[EJ I try to take it off him, but he holds it above his head. ¡°It is morning. I am tired, and I have to be up soon. So there is no point in me going to bed now,¡± I growl at him. C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. ¡°You will make theme out with six heads,¡± he snarls. I shake my head at his logic. Caffeine was fine. Macey, taller than me, snatched it from him and stuck her tongue out at him, handing it to me. ¡°It won¡¯t hurt her. But why aren¡¯t you going to bed?¡± she asks. I point to all the files on the coffee table. ¡°Have a meeting with dad¡¯s ountant tomorrow. I¡¯m going over everything first to figure some shit out,¡± I tell her, and she sighs. ¡°Make me one; I can help,¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you have to get home to Taylor?¡± I ask. ¡°Na, mum has her,¡± Tatum says, and I look at him and smirk before eyeing Macey, and her face heats. ¡°Just friends, huh? But his mum now has Taylor?¡± I ask, knowing Macey didn¡¯t trust anyone with Taylor other than her own mother, brother, Zoe and I. ¡°Oh, for god sake, babe! Just tell her already,¡± Tatum says with a shake of his head. I look at Macey expectantly. ¡°Nothing! There is nothing to tell at all. Crystal is just baby sitting because I had dinner with his mother,¡± Macey says, and Tatum growls. ¡°Macey is moving in with me. Mum had Taylor for a sleepover while I moved all her crap. I filled a damn trailer with toys. Toys!¡± Tatum says, shaking his head. ¡°I swear if there is a troll or Smurf toy on this earth Taylor doesn¡¯t have, I will eat my left kidney! Bloody crazy the amount of toys that girl has,¡± he growls. Macey rolls her eyes at him. ¡°We could use a break so we can move the rest tomorrow,¡± Tatum says. ¡°Sounds good, and she doesn¡¯t have that many toys,¡± Macey says, with a sigh. ¡°That trailer we fitted an entire living room in and bedroom Macey. She has too many toys. My house only has three bedrooms. One room will be just for all of her toys!¡± I snicker at their quarrel. Yet I knew Macey spoiled the crap out of Taylor. I did the same with Vrian, although he never asked for anything. However, when he did, he always got it; it was the same with Zoe. After the Hotel kicked off, we made up for lost time, so I understood it. For so long, we scraped coins to make ends meet, and often that meant no toys and buying only the staples. So once we had money, we spent it on the kids, giving them what we couldn¡¯t before we had it. I was the same with Vrian, yet that kid was limited with what he liked, so his toy hoard wasn¡¯t even a quarter of what the girls had. He wanted order and regrly cleaned out his toys to make room for new ones. ¡°So you¡¯re moving in with Tatum?¡± I ask, pouring the hot water into the mug. Valen growls and reaches for my cup, but I re at him. ¡°Oh, here,¡± Macey says, distracting him by giving him the vial. Valen held it up to the light, and I could see the metallic silver liquid inside as he examined it. ¡°By the way, how did your ultrasound go? I forgot to ask earlier,¡± Macey says, looking at Valen. It was Macey, and I knew she wouldn¡¯t b to the world, and neither would Zoe and Valen, told his father already. ¡°You jinxed me,¡± I tell her with a gicgle. ¡°Jinxed you?¡± she says, her eyes sparkling with mischief. ¡°Twins?¡± she asks. ¡°Triplets,¡± Valen says behind her, and her lips part as she looks at my nonexistent stomach. ¡°Girl, you gonna be huge, like a beach ball huge,¡± sheughs. ¡°Wow, bet that was a shock,¡± Tatum says beforeing up behind Macey. His arms encircle her waist as he buries his face in her neck. ¡°Yep, you can say that again. Everly will get her tubes tied after.¡± valen abruptly states. ¡°Really?¡± I scoff ¡°Yes, I am not being neutered,¡± Valen says. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m with Valen. No man wants someone cutting into their junk,¡± Tatum agrees. ¡°But someone should cut into mine,¡± I retort. ¡°They will already have to. How many triplets have you heard of being born vaginally?¡± Valen asks, and I think, he had a point, but why do I have to get it done? ¡°Nope, if I¡¯m carrying them, you can sacrifice your balls. Your balls caused it,¡± I tell him, sipping my coffee. ¡°No way,¡± he growls. ¡°Why?¡± Macey demands, just as outraged. ¡°Because I don¡¯t want my balls cut off,¡± ¡°They don¡¯t cut off your balls,¡± Macey says, shaking her head. ¡°I am not losing my manhood,¡± Typical man response. ¡°Idiot, and I am not getting my tubes tied. You will either get the snip or wear condoms,¡± Valen pulls a face. ¡°It doesn¡¯t feel the same,¡± I shrug, uncaring. He was getting it done if he didn¡¯t want anymore after these ones. ¡°Bloody damn litter,¡± he says pocketing the vial. ¡°Bet Vrian was excited,¡± Maceyughs and I sigh. ¡°Let¡¯s just hope they are boys,¡± I tell her, and she snickers.. ¡°I hope you have three girls,¡± I re at her. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t say that. You jinxed mest time, so close your damn swallow hole.¡± ¡°I can assure you she doesn¡¯t swallow,¡± Tatum says, and Macey elbows him. 1 ¡°Prick, will you shut up, go annoy Valen andpare dicks, or whatever it is you men do,¡± she snaps at him. Tatum chuckles but doesn¡¯t leave her side, and Valen grabs a beer out of the fridge and passes Tatum one. I re at him, he reckons he needed a beer after finding out we were having triplets yet I worried seeing him drink. ¡°Maybe you can convince Macey to let me put a baby in her,¡± Tatum says, wiggling his eyebrows at me. ¡°Fat chance. I like the babies I can hand back to their mothers. Taylor is enough for me,¡± she says quickly, and Tatum pouts. ¡°Just one.¡± he asks but Macey shakes her head. ¡°Two,¡± Tatum says. ¡°How did we go from one to none and now two?¡± she says, shaking her head. ¡°Just get, you want kids, go find someone else. When I agreed to move in with you, I told you that I didn¡¯t want any more children,¡± she tells him. Yet I knew why that was, which made me wonder if Macey told him because he wouldnt have asked if he did. Macey couldn¡¯t have children. She had a hysterectomy with Taylor because she bled out and nearly died. ¡°Macey?¡± I whisper once he wanders over to Valen in the living room. ¡°I know I have to tell him, but.¡± She looks over her shoulder at him. ¡°He will leave when he does,¡± she sighs. ¡°Is that why you didn¡¯t want anyone to know you moved in with him?¡± She shrugs.¡± Just enjoying it while itsts. Once he finds out, he will run for the hills. They always do.¡± I smile sadly. In thest five years, Macey has had two serious rtionships. She even got engaged once, but both left her once they found out she couldn t kave children. She told the first one just before they moved in together, and he walked out as quickly as he came into her life. The other she told him the day after they got engaged and the same thing. ¡°I don¡¯t think Tatum is like that, but you need to tell him before he gets his hopes up?¡± She chews her lip nervously as I tell her. I prayed I was right. Macey nods and sighs before running her fingers through her hair and grabbing her mug. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s sort these papers out,¡± she says, wandering over to the coffee table. Valen was on the phone with Doc, who was waiting for the vial. They spoke for a few minutes before he stood and looked at Tatum. ¡°Want toe for a drive with me to the hospital to drop this off,¡± Valen asks, and Tatum gets up off the couch. ¡°You have been drinking,¡± Macey scolds. ¡°I have had one mouthful,¡± he says, passing his almost full bottle to Macey. She takes it and looks at it. ¡°Fine, go then. Can you bring me some Pringle¡¯s back?¡± Tatumughs and leans down as she looks up at him. He pecks her lips. ¡°Yes, be back soon,¡± he tells her. Valen kisses me before walking out with Tatum, leaving us alone. Macey and I go over the paperwork for the pack, and I sigh, finding it getting worse the more we dig. ¡°This one here,¡± Macey says, holding out a slip of paper. I take it from her and nce at it. It was an old arcade that was in the red. ¡°Yeah, what about it?¡± ¡°Want to sell it?¡± she asks, and I nce at it. ¡°You want to buy an arcade?¡± she shrugs. ¡°Zoe and I were discussing pooling our savings and buying something to fix up and invest in,¡± she says. ¡°But we have the hotel?¡± I ask her. ¡°No, you have the hotel, Zoe has her t out the back of it, and I have nothing, not that I amining. I know we have always split the hotel ie, but I want something to leave to Taylor, same with Zoe. So we have been looking into it,¡± I chewed my lip, feeling bad now she said it like that, but I was initially nning to cut the girls in before I got my father¡¯s pack. But maybe I still could. ¡°You can have it if you clear the electricity bill on it. Just pay what is outstanding on it. It just shut down, but hold off buying anything with Zoe for a bit. I want to speak to Valen first.¡± ¡°You¡¯re giving it to me?¡± she asks, ncing down at the arcade. It was rundown but owned outright by the pack, but the electricity bill was nearly nok. And the machines needed work, so dad just shut it down, and it has sat vacant since. ¡°10k, and it¡¯s mine?¡± she asks, checking the electricity. I didn¡¯t know how much she had exactly, but I knew she could cover it easily. One thing all of us were good at, was saving. The only time we really splurged was with the kids. ¡°If you want it, you can keep all the crap in it, too,¡± I tell her. I had no use for an arcade and had no idea what state it was in, but that would be one less bill to pay. ¡°Valen won¡¯t have a problem with that?¡± she asks. ¡°No. But I may have something else if you want it, but I need to speak to Valen first.¡± ¡°Are you sure? The building is worth a lot more than that. It has a bowling alley in it and is on the main drag?¡± she asks. ¡°Macey, if you and Zoe want it or even just you, cover the electricity bill and it is yours,¡± I tell her. It would only help me out if she took it off my hands. I had no time to fix it up and also the funds. If she wanted to put her time and money into it and save me the headache, that was fine by me. ¡°Thank you,¡± she whispers, looking at its portfolio. Now, I just needed to speak to Valen about the Hotel. Maybe I wouldn¡¯t have to sell it to Valen if he let the girls chip in as partners. They know what it holds in value, and it could help cover the rebuild cost. Besides, they helped fix the ce. It seemed only fair they also owned it along with me. 1 But the rest of this crap, I was in way over my head with. Chapter 108 Chapter 108 Valen POV Tatum and I went and dropped the vial offst night. Doc split it into samples before sending it off to the labs, and this morning I was taking Everly to the ountant, deciding afterst night I didn¡¯t want her on her own anywhere. Everly had been nervous all morning about something, and I could tell she wanted to ask me something. She was weird when I got homest night, making me wonder if she argued with her father or something. ncing at her, I decided to ask her because her weird mood was freaking me out. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I asked as we pulled up at a set of traffic lights. ¡°I am worried about the ountant,¡± she answers. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because I wasn¡¯t expecting you toe with me,¡± my brows pinch together wondering what she meant. ¡°It¡®s that bad?¡± ¡°No. But I did something when I inherited everything, and I was hoping it remained hidden, but now you will find out,¡± she says. ¡°What did you do?¡± ¡°I got even. And also I was angry at you, so just don¡¯t be mad. But it was a lot of money, I had this stupid idea, but it may piss you off.¡± She shakes her head. ¡°You won¡¯t tell me?¡± she shakes her head. ¡°And you told no one? And how much money did my mother leave you?¡± ¡°Zoe and Macey know. We had a goodugh about it, but I wasn¡¯t expecting you or anyone to find out.¡± I was going to ask her what it was when she spoke again. ¡°I also wanted to ask you about the hotel. Macey said something to mest night, but I worry it may upset you also,¡± she says. ¡°Why would it upset me? It¡¯s your hotel,¡± I tell her. ¡°Well, legally, yes. But it was your mother¡®s,¡± ¡°You don¡¯t want to continue the rebuild or sell it?¡± I ask, wondering what she is getting at. My mother left it to Everly. I would never interfere with the hotel. Mum wanted her to have it. Therefore Everly was free to do as she pleased with it. Though I hoped she wouldn¡¯t sell it off. ¡°No. Not sell it, sell it, I will still own it, but¡­¡± my brows furrow, and I elerate as the light turns green. ¡°Just say it, Everly,¡± I tell her, and she sighs. ¡°I was nning on doing it anyway before you came back into the picture. But now you are, I thought I should ask,¡± she says. ¡°It¡®s your Hotel. That doesn¡®t change, so tell me what you want to do,¡± ¡°I am running out of funds for the rebuild. The insurance didn¡®t cover everything, and the savings set aside for emergencies are running out. Everything else is locked down in term deposits and trust funds which I don¡®t want to touch unless necessary. I know you offered to help, but..¡± ¡°But you refuse to take money from me,¡± I growl. We have a kid and live together, yet she never lets me pay for everything, she is always contributing even though I don¡®t want or need her money. But hearing all this made me wonder how much she did have? ¡°I don¡®t want a handout, and I don¡¯t want to owe anyone,¡± she says. ¡°I¡®m your mate,¡± I tell her. ¡°I have never needed help, and I don¡®t want it, but Macey and Zoe have been pooling their money to invest,¡± ¡°You want to split the ce three ways? Change ownership into three titles?¡± I ask, and she nods, ncing at me before she starts nervously defending herself. ¡°I know it was your mother¡®s, and I will still own it. But Macey was telling mest night, she and Zoe were looking into buying something investment¨Cwise to leave to their kids, and I was already going¡­¡± ¡°I think it¡®s a good idea,¡± I cut her off, and she turns in her seat to look at me. ¡°You do?¡± she actually seemed shocked. ¡°It may have been my mothers, but you three girls built that ce. But I have one condition if you go ahead,¡± I tell her, and she clicks her tongue. ¡°I¡®m not losing ownership, just partnering up..¡± she starts to say. ¡°Give it to them,¡± I tell her, and she gapes at me. ¡°I think you¡¯re missing the point, Valen. I kind of can¡¯t afford to unless I touch Vrian¡¯s money which I don¡¯t want to do. And I don¡¯t know how much they have, but anything will help with the rebuild, and the money will only be going back into the hotel until we can open, and I would hand it back,¡± ¡°I know that, but my condition is, either I buy it off you, or you give it to them and let me cover the rest of the cost.¡± I tell her. ¡°No. I don¡¯t want your money, and Macey and Zoe wouldn¡¯t agree to that anyway. They would think they owe you,¡± What is with these girls and settling debts and even gifts? ¡°Then split it four ways. We don¡¯t need their money Everly, and they are like your sisters. You three built it. I can get contracts drawn up so they know I can¡¯t interfere with the hotel. I will merely be an investor but hold no control,¡± I tell her. ¡°Once Vrianes of age, I can transfer any title I have to his name,¡± I tell her. ¡°Just let me ask the girls first,¡± she says, and I nod. I would rather she take the money, but she is too headstrong. Maybe I could speak to the girls and get them to convince her. The way I see it, they helped build it to the way it is. They should have equal shares. Besides, they may not believe or think it, but I owed them for being there when I wasn¡¯t. So if this helps them and clears my guilty conscience, it is a win-win. Pulling up at the ountants, my father was there waiting already, and Everly climbed out of the car and waved to him. I grab the box of files off the backseat when the back door opens, and Everly snatches a pink folder off the backseat. ¡°I can take it,¡± she shakes her head, making me confused. What had she done that she didn¡¯t want me to see? She almost looked embarrassed. When she closed the door, my father hugged her, and I could tell he was tickled pink about her pregnancy. John also met us, and we all walked into the ountant¡¯s office, along with my ountant that arrived at the same time. Not that I didn¡¯t trust John¡¯s ountant, but I wanted to be sure. We moved into a room with a huge oval mahogany desk, and I took a seat next to Everly, who was clutching the pink folder. The ountants start chatting among themselves and going over paperwork while my father has a silly smirk on his face as he stares at her. Turning slightly in my chair, Everly¡¯s eyes go to his, and her lips part. ¡°You know?¡± she asks, and he nods once. ¡°Honestly, it is something Vrie would have done" he chuckles, and the room falls silent as everyone looks between my father and Everly. The door swings open, and Everly shrinks down in her seat as her ountant walks in. ¡°Joseph,¡± my father says in acknowledgment. My eyes narrow at my father and Joseph smiles and sits next to Everly. He squeezes her hand. I had no idea who he was but she said he would be here. ¡°Joseph, this Valen,¡± Everly says, and he nods. ¡°Nice to meet you. Your mother was a wonderful woman,¡± he says. ¡°You knew my mother?¡± ¡°Yes. I was herwyer. Everly kept me on after she passed,¡± he says, and I swallow, trying to figure out what was going on. All the ountants talk, trying to find the best approach to deal with Alpha John¡¯s pack, which was now technically mine and Everly¡¯s. But Everly didn¡¯t want to take control off himpletely, which shocked me. Instead, her father would be running things. ¡°You still want me to run the pack,¡± John asks. ¡°Yes. You¡¯re nightshade pack, I have my Hotel and Luna stuff. You know the pack; I may be their Alpha now, but it¡¯s still your home,¡± ¡°What¡¯s the catch?¡± John asks. ¡°For starters, no gambling. And you don¡¯t handle finances. Joseph will. And you answer to Valen now,¡± she says, and my eyebrows raise. The room falls silent, and you can hear a pin drop. It was so quiet. Everyone looks at John, waiting to see what he says. Our packs have been rivals for decades, and I didn¡¯t expect him to agree. ¡°Okay, but can we please see Vrian? ire has been asking every day, and Everly won¡®t bring him to see us unless you say so,¡± John tells me, and Everly looks at me. I know she was trying to make up for not telling me of the pregnancy by letting me decide that, but I knew she secretly wanted her parents in her life. Despite having their differences, she still loved them. Everly was just no longer a child and had no problem cutting people out of her life now. She didn¡®t have time for the bullshit. ¡°You want this?¡± I ask her, and she nods. ¡°Valen, they are her parents,¡± Dad mind-links. I sigh and nod. ¡°Fine. But, if he doesn¡¯t want anything to do with you, you won¡¯t force a rtionship with my son or our babies,¡± I tell him, and he nods and lets out a breath. ¡°Wait! Babies?! As in more than one?!¡± John blurts, and I pale. We were trying to keep that on the down-low for now. ¡°Yes, dad. I am having triplets,¡± Everly admits. John gapes at her before regathering himself like he was doing the math in his head on the diaper changes. ¡°Can I tell your mother? She is going to love this. More grandbabies, she will be so excited,¡± John says, seemingly quite happy about this information. ¡°Yes! Yes. I agree to your terms,¡± John says, and I raise an eyebrow at his enthusiasm when my father mind-links me again. He probably saw the look on my face; I was about to demand the reason for his sudden change of heart toward his daughter. ¡°Valen, leave it,¡± Dad says. ¡°What?! He wants to pick and choose whose kid¡¯s lives he will be in? Where was the bastard when Vrian was born?¡± I tell my father, watching John. ¡°No. I get it.¡± Dad says. ¡°Get what?!¡± I snapped through the link. Everly looks over at me, probably feeling my sudden anger. ¡°He is trying to make up for his mistakes. He can¡®t go back in time to fix things with his daughter, but he can with your kids. Just like I am doing with you and Everly. That is what I get, Valen. You don¡®t have to trust him straight off, but let him. Everly is a smart girl. She isn¡®t someone that will let someone hurt her twice,¡± Dad says when I feel Everly squeeze my hand under the table. I nod to my father, and he turns his attention back to the ountants. Dad brought a few of the businesses himself to get rid of the debts, those he thought would be suitable investments. A heap was going to be put up for sale, but Everly made it clear they were not to be pack bought and would sell to pack members or even sold to any of the rogues. Yet that still left the debt to Nixon and also a backlog of debt from pack loans. Some I would sort out, but John really buried the pack deep and was stupid enough to take out loans from human banks that were out of state, which would be the biggest issue. C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. ¡°You should have enough to cover those debts if you sell thend off without touching the trust fund,¡± Joseph whispers to her. My father snickers to himself, and Everly nces at me nervously. ¡°What trust fund? And whatnd? She owns the hotel and itsnd. She was a Rogue. She couldn¡®t have purchasednd within the city, only inherited it,¡± I ask, confused. Rogues didn¡®t own in this city once the packs took over. So my mother wouldn¡®t have been able to purchase once the packs moved into the city and put thews in ce. ¡°Correct. Everly couldn¡®t buy morend within the city. And the trust fund is Vrian¡¯s. Half the money your mother gave her is in that trust, Everly set it aside for him. Everything else went on thend she brought and into the hotel,¡± Joseph says, and now everyone in the room was looking at her. Joseph wore the same smirk my father had, and Everly looked like she wanted to run from the room. ¡°I was mad at you and you¡­!¡± she said, looking at her father. Okay, now I was intrigued. ¡°Spill. What have you done?¡± I ask her, but she presses her lips in a line. ¡°It is actually pretty funny. Checkmate,¡± dadughs. ¡°It is kind of funny. Well, Macey, Zoe, and I thought it was anyway,¡± Everlyughs. ¡°Okay, can someone tell me what is going on?¡± I ask, and John also leans forward, but my father is the one that answers. ¡°Since she was rogue, she couldn¡¯t purchase within city limits,¡± he says. ¡°I know that,¡± I tell my father. ¡°Nothing says she couldn¡¯t purchase thend outside of the city,¡± Dadughs. John and I look at each other. ¡°I own all the forsakennds,¡± she chuckles, and dadughs. ¡°You what?¡± I asked. ¡°Remember when we initially were all looking for a treaty agreement, and we¡¯re looking at purchasing outside the city limits to start mining by the mountains?¡± Dad asks. ¡°Yes. None of the packs could purchase thend. The werewolf council said it was a forsaken habitat.¡± I answer, what aplete waste of time that was, months of nning only to not be able to purchase thend. ¡°I checked into that, and it was already brought,¡± Dad says. ¡°Wait! You knew thend couldn¡®t be bought and didn¡®t tell me?¡± ¡°At the time, I knew it would lead you back to Everly and your mother, so no, I never said anything,¡± dad admits. ¡°So you own all the vacantnd at the back of my pack to the mountains?¡± I ask her, and she snickers. ¡°No,¡± she answers. ¡°She owns all thend outside the city borders, behind every pack,¡± Josephughs. ¡°Wait, how muchnd is that?¡± I asked. ¡°Enough to build an entire city on. Your mother was a very wealthy woman. Before her father started selling it off, they owned nearly all the state, and Everly brought a sizable chunk back," Dadughs. ¡°But why would you want all thend?¡± John asks her. ¡°So no one could grow their packs,¡± I grit out and Everlyughs. ¡°Not one of the packs could extend their border limits because I owned it. So technically, when you all did your border patrols, you were all trespassing on mynd,¡± she chuckles. ¡°You cunning little¡­.¡± I growl and shake my head. ¡°As I said, I was angry. So I purchased all the vacantnd outside the city, spanning all around the city limits. All that empty farnd is mine and Valerians, with the city bing overcrowded I knew the packs would want to buy into thatnd, I made sure they couldn¡®t,¡± sheughs. ¡°You are why we couldn¡¯t purchase thend for mining,¡± I growl at her. That was a big deal three years ago. ¡°So that is why Nixon couldn¡®t build that mall,¡± her fatherughs, and she nods. ¡°Every pack looked into why the werewolf council wouldn¡¯t sell thend. Said it had an anonymous buyer and was for the preservation of the forsaken habitat. We thought they were being jerks since they weren¡®t part of the city,¡± Johnughs. ¡°Wait! You stopped my skate rink idea,¡± her father growls, pointing an using finger at her. ¡°Yeah, and the subdivision I was nning out the back of the reserve,¡± ¡°I said I was angry,¡± Everly says. ¡°Angry? You plotted behind every pack and bought out theirnd!¡± I tell her. ¡°Smart,¡± my father says. ¡°Or stupid. What if the packs found out?¡± I ask her. ¡°They would have killed me. But at the time, I didn¡®t care, and I just wanted to hit back at the packs. They owned the city. I just made sure they couldn¡®t extend it,¡± she says, folding her arms across her chest. No wonder she refused to let me pay. After going over her books, in assets alone, she trumped everyone here. She owned morend than all of us. Had more money and worth than anyone in the room. It astounded me and, quite frankly it was a little intimidating. We were all yed by one little Rogue who outsmarted all of us. Dad was right, checkmate! She had us all by the balls and not one of us knew it Chapter 109 Chapter 109 Everly POV Two weekster ¡°Everly wake up. You¡®rete again,¡± Valen says, shaking me out of my deep sleep. A growl escapes, and I tug my pillow over my head. He growls, ripping the heavy drapes open and flooding the room with light that seared my eyeballs from their sockets.. ¡°Everly up!¡± Valen growls, ripping the nket off me. My eyes felt like sandpaper, and I was so damn exhausted. No matter how early I went to bed, I always woke up feeling like crap, and it didn¡®t help that he watched me like a damn hawk. And wouldn¡®t allow me any coffee, making me question if that was an addiction. I usually had two before I even did the school run, and now no caffeine has resulted in me bing a zombie. ¡°No, leave me,¡± I whined. ¡°Vrian was ten minuteste yesterday and today. The tantrum I just dealt with was insane! Now up! You were supposed to do the school runs thest two days, and on both days, he couldn¡¯t wake you, and I had toe home!¡± ¡°I¡®m tired,¡± I told him, reaching blindly for the nket that he tugged away. ¡°Up!¡± he says pping my backside and earning a growl. ¡°Why,¡± I whined. ¡°Because it is time to get up!¡± he snaps. ¡°Time for you to get up. I don¡®t have to be anywhere,¡± I growl. It was my day off. I wanted to sleep! Valen growls and storms out of the room, and I snuggle beneath my nket when I wrinkle my nose at the smell of coffee. The smell I couldn¡®t stand sent me running for the bathroom, but damn, did I miss the taste and the energy buzz. The scent grew more potent, and I growled as his scent wafted in from behind me and the pungent aroma of caffeine goodness. ¡°I swear if you made that just to make me get up to puke, I would provide the damn vasectomy myself,¡± I snarl before I gasp, my throat burning. It was such an odd reaction to the one thing I loved. Once I threw up, I was good to drink it. Just the initial smell always got to me. Flushing the toilet, I quickly rinsed my mouth while ring at him in the mirror as I watched him take a sip. He was pushing my limits. I snarled as I stood up while he smiled tauntingly. ¡°Ah, be nice, I may let you drink it,¡± he says. ¡°Hand the coffee over, hun, or I feel this miningdeal may not go through,¡± I tell him, ¡°I hear the owner is a real bitch without her morning coffee,¡± and his smile falls. Maybe him knowing now would y to my advantage. When I brought it, I knew if the packs knew, they would hunt me down and probably kill me, but with Valen and my Dad behind me, no one would dare touch me now. ¡°You can¡®t ckmail me, and that was mynd you brought,¡± Valen tells me. ¡°No ims, therefore, no¨Cman¡®snd and now mynd,¡± I tell him, putting my hands on my hips. ¡°I still can¡®t believe you did that, and you nearly started a war between me and sher pack Alpha.¡± I reach for the mug, but he pulls his hand away. ¡°Thatnd would make a nice protected reserve,¡± I muse, folding my arms across my chest. He res at me before cocking his eyebrow at me and not taking his eyes from mine while sipping the coffee. I purse my lips. ¡°Maybe I might sell thend right out the back of your territory. ter, I heard, was looking to extend. I am sure he would offer a good amount for the spot right at the back. Do you know where I am talking about? Where your packhouse is,¡± I told him. ¡°You wouldn¡®t dare, then you would get yourself in trouble!¡± he says and smirks. ¡°It was kind of the intention when I brought it, you know, to cause trouble, and I hear it was quite the headache for the Blood Alpha,¡± I tell him, and he clicks his tongue. ¡°Fine, one coffee, one Everly. And once that jar is gone now more, it shouldst you a while,¡± hesays. ¡°The whole jar?¡± I ask excitedly, and he nods. ¡°Deal?¡± he asks, holding out his hand. ¡°Two a day?¡± I retort. ¡°One!¡± he says. ¡°Three!¡± ¡°One!¡± ¡°Three, and you have a deal,¡± I tell him, and he growls. ¡°Two then,¡± he says, and I smile, shake his hand, and he gives me the cup. I take it excitedly and have a sip before ites spraying out my mouth as I spit it back in the cup. Valenughs. ¡°What the fuck, Valen! That is not coffee,¡± I snarl. ¡°We had a deal,¡± heughs. ¡°And you shook on it,¡± ¡°Yes, a deal for coffee! Not whatever the heck that is!¡± ¡°Decaf!¡± he says, and I growl. ¡°Well, I know never to let you go over a contract. Always verify what you¡®re making a deal on, Luna,¡± Valenughs. I pull a face at him and flip him the finger behind his back as he walks out. I get dressed, pouting about my coffee fix that was not coffee. Once dressed, I texted Zoe and Macey to see what they were doing since the hotel was under renovations. We had so much spare time on our hands, and it was like the moment we stopped working, all of us crashed and burned. Working seven days a week for months on end, you don¡®t realize how tired you be until you have one day off. The girls agreed to meet up with me for lunch, and before I knew it, I was driving over to the hotel to check everything was remaining on schedule while Valen told me he was going to see his father, who was meeting him at the homeless shelter. Everything seemed to be happening so fast but it was a drama free day which I liked. Valen took care of most of the debts while I waited for my ountant and some agents to sell off some of thend, selling off everything besides thend behind our pack and my father¡®s old pack, and out of spite, I was also keeping thend behind Nixon¡®s it mighte in handyter on. Valen seemed rather shocked about everything, as one would be, but mostly, I knew I had it but never actually thought of doing anything with it. I brought it out of spite, but it may just be what saves us from going under. Vrian¡®s money was locked in a trust until he came of age. I could get it out, but the hoops to jump through would be a pain in the ass. Plus, the thought of touching it sickened me. The day slipped by slowly, and the girls and I went to lunch in the city center. It felt odd being served and not doing the serving. We all looked and felt out of ce. People stared and muttered mainly at Macey because she smelled rogue still. The waiter ces our food down in front of us and a tea. ncing at the waitress. ¡°I think you gave me the wrong one?¡± I ask her. She smiles apologetically. ¡°I¡®m sorry, Luna, but,¡± ¡°Valen!¡± I growled and she whisked away quickly. I knew that must be Valen¡®s doing, seeing as it was one of his pack cafes we were sitting at. Macey nces around before sliding her cappino in front of me and sends me a wink. ¡°I saw nothing, and I think he is being ridiculous over the caffeine thing,¡± she deres. ¡°And cheese,¡± I tell them, ring at my sd. ¡°Cheese?¡± Zoe asks. ¡°Yep, listeria, oh and fish, apparently mercury levels and since he can¡®t be bothered looking up which fish best to steer clear of, he has banned all fish, oh and mayonnaise. I will kill him by the end of this pregnancy. Every night he has his nose in a baby book,¡± I say with a roll of the eyes. ¡°Yeah, fuck that,¡± Macey says, and Zoe nces around like she is waiting for him to pounce on me over the coffee Macey gave me. ¡°Have you told Tatum yet?¡± I asked Macey, she kept avoiding it. Although, she had admitted that he had been hounding her since Tatum found out about my pregnancy, especially now that they had officially moved in with each other. ¡°I will,¡± she sighs, picking at her caesar sd. Zoe smiles at her sadly. And I felt terrible because I was pregnant with not one baby but three, and Macey couldn¡®t have one. ¡°What about you? What¡®s going on with you and Valen?¡± Macey asks, spearing a piece of lettuce and popping it in her mouth. I knew she was trying to change the subject away from her not telling Tatum, but I would let it slide this once. ¡°Fine, he is super annoying and clingy now, but I was thinking,¡± ¡°Thinking about what?¡± Zoe asks, biting into her wrap and watching me. Yet it had been nagging at me, and even though we had marked each other and I was Luna of his pack. When I signed the titles the other day, it bothered me that I was using myst name because, technically, the pack on the paperwork were separate packs. ¡°Do you think it would be strange if I proposed to Valen? I know it is usually the other way around, but-¡°my cheeks flush. Macey stops mid-chew to stare at me, her eyes narrow. ¡°Wait, you want to get married? I thought you were against the whole thing, and it¡¯s just a piece of paper and h h h,¡± Macey says. ¡°Well, I was, but Valen is handling Dad¡¯s pack for me, but he has to run everything past me because technically, I am Alpha.¡± I tell her. Zoe snickers, ¡°And Valen is your Luna,¡± sheughs. I nudge her, but technically whoever held the titles was Alpha, so I was his Luna, and he was mine. ¡°And Vrian has his name now and¡°. ¡°Oh my gosh, Everly, if you want to marry him, marry him, damn, you don¡®t need to give us a list of reasons why you should; it ain¡®t a business deal. Just admit you want to marry him!¡± Macey says. ¡°So, when are you going to do it?¡± Zoe asks, and I shrug. ¡°I don¡®t know, I would have to get him a ring first¡­.just saying that sounds so backward.¡± I shake my head. ¡°Why?¡± Zoe asks and I shrug. It just did, and my face fell. ¡°What?¡± Macey says. ¡°What if he says no?¡± That would be mortifying, yet they both looked at me like I was absurd. ¡°He is your mate, nothing more permanent than the mark on your neck, but you think he won¡®t marry you?¡± Zoe says, shaking her head. C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. ¡°I told you,dies, we can be nonsexual lesbians if necessary. I will dly marry you both. If Valen says no. And the same goes for you,¡± she says, nodding to Zoe, and Iugh. ¡°But I ain¡®t eating pussy. I don¡®t even like the look of my own vagina, let alone getting close and personal with either of yours. Valen says no. I¡®ll ditch Tatum and marry ya. I gotcha, baby girl,¡± she says and winks at me. Iughed. It did sound rather silly that he would say no. ¡°I say do it. Besides, you got options! Macey is your backup n if he says no,¡± Zoey says, snickering before going back to eating her food. We all ate and made small talk before deciding to check out some of the jewelers when we came across one hidden up some side alley. ¡°I did not even know this ce was here,¡± Zoe says, ncing up at the sign. ¡®Dion¡®s Jewelers¡® I shrug, opening the door and stepping inside to find some rough¨Clooking biker man sitting behind a ss cab, sses perched on the end of his nose as he read something. Tattoos covered his arms, chest, and neck from what I could see poking out from his button¨Cdown shirt. He nces at us while we look around. ¡°Luna,dies, ah, what a surprise. What can I do for you today?¡± he asks. ¡°She is looking for an engagement ring for her mate,¡± Zoe answers him, peering into the ss disys. He nods, sipping his can of coke and stepping into the main area where we were before turning to look at Macey. ¡°Oh, not me, her. She is going to propose to Alpha Valen,¡± Macey tells him, and my cheeks heat. The man coughs on his drink before punching his chest. My eyes widen as he chokes on his drink, and I move to pat him on the back while he gasps. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Macey asks him. ¡°Went down the wrong hole,¡± Dion gasps, sucking in a breath. I stepped away from him as he cleared his throat. The man was a giant and not what I expected the jeweler to look like. ¡°How about I show you a few things, then?,¡± he says awkwardly. Chapter 110 Chapter 110 ¡°When are you going to do it?¡± Zoe asked as we waited for Dion to polish it. He was taking forever. Macey drummed her fingers on the counter impatiently. How long does it take to polish a ring? I thought to myself. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Kalen said he could take Vrian tonight. I could try to make us dinner and do it tonight?¡± I said try because the smell of food really made me gag; he may be eating Chinese from a container. How romantic, not. Although, I should probably buy Chinese after I drop Vrian off at Kalen¡¯s because the more I thought about it, the less it seemed possible I was going to be cooking. ¡°Yeah, do it tonight before you chicken out, and I will tell Tatum,¡± Macey says, peering through the door out the back of the jewelers. ¡°Really? You¡¯re going to tell him?¡± I ask. Macey sighs but nods her head. ¡°Yes. Well, if you have the guts to propose, I should woman up and tell him,¡± she says. ¡°So much going on today, so exciting!¡± Zoe gushes. ¡°Exciting? I am about to possibly ruin my rtionship while she gets married!¡± Macey says, nodding toward me. ¡°Tatum won¡¯t leave you over something you can¡¯t control,¡± Zoe says, and I agree. He didn¡¯t seem the sort to run just because he couldn¡¯t have kids. He loved Macey. ¡°We¡¯ll see, but I am about to jump this counter and polish the damn thing myself,¡± Macey growled. ¡°Kalen was alright with taking him at short notice. I can take him for the night if you want me to?¡± Zoe offers. ¡°No, he seemed excited,¡± I tell her. ¡°What did you tell him?¡± Macey asks. ¡°Told him I wanted to have dinner with Valen,¡± I shrug. Dion finally returns, and he looks extremely sweaty and nervous. ¡°Are you ok?¡± I asked him ¡°Yeah, just not feeling well, Luna,¡± ¡°Ah well, then that is our queue to leave before you give us whatever you got,¡± Macey growls-stepping back from him like he has the gue. Dion chuckles, handing me the small jewelry bag and my receipt. ¡°Thanks,¡± I tell him before we all leave. We had to race to the school because that took way longer than we thought. Macey bought another cappino as we left, sneaking it to me when I hopped in the car. I sighed in relief before reaching into the tote bag in the back. Macey took the decaf coffee jar FNEGR3K1 emptied it into a bin near my car before Zoe filled it with real coffee that she snuck from home. ¡°I did not give that to you, and if he finds out, I will totally deny it and me Macey,¡± Zoe states with a soft laugh. ¡°Wait, why me me?¡± Macey asks. ¡°You¡¯re scarier than Marcus,¡± Zoe says. Macey clicks her tongue and folds her arms. ¡°Is that so?¡± she asks. ¡°Marcus thinks so. Besides, Valen is his Alpha. I can¡¯t get him into trouble,¡± Zoe tells her. ¡°Oh, I see. Choosing cock over your sister. I will remember that,¡± Macey tells her. ¡°No, I am not! I just know you would protect me better than Marcus,¡± Zoe says, batting hershes at Macey. ¡°Yeah, yeah. Whatever you say,¡± Macey says. ¡°He won¡¯t know; it is the same jar, and I¡¯m a werewolf, not a bloody human, and Doc said Caffeine has no effects on were-babies; he is just being anal,¡± I growled, twisting the jar lid back on. I ced it back in my tote bag before we said our brief goodbyes, and I followed the girls to the school. We waited out the front of the school for the bell to ring, leaning against the brick wall out front. ¡°Geez, my hands are sweaty; I am so nervous,¡± Macey says. ¡°Yeah, I feel a little nauseous myself. Should I get down on one knee? I have no idea what I am going to say,¡± I admit. ¡°I say go all Alpha on his ass and toss it at him and say we are getting married, ¡± Zoe says aggressively. ¡°Gosh, calm down, mighty mouse, why so aggressive?¡± Macey says. ¡°Channel your inner Alpha Female,¡± Zoe states and I raise an eyebrow at her. ¡°She is an Alpha female¡± Maceyughs. ¡°I guess you¡¯re right, so yeah. Do that! Why not? They mark away without asking. Just shove it on his finger and say pick a date!¡± ¡°Yeah, don¡¯t listen to her, but I probably wouldn¡¯t get down on one knee. I just couldn¡¯t picture that,¡± Macey says with a shudder. ¡°You two are not making me feel any better, but what will you say to Tatum?¡± I ask Macey. ¡°No idea, but I will wait until Taylor is in bed, then I will bring it up,¡± ¡°Want me to take her?¡± Zoe asks. ¡°Really? That would be good. Then I can try to tell him¡­ No¡­ I will tell him at dinner he is always in a good mood at dinnertime,¡± ¡°I would be too if my future mate was a chef,¡± Zoe says. ¡°Fill in, chef! I am not a chef, but yeah. I am a pretty good cook, if I do say so myself,¡± Macey says. ¡°Make him that cr¨¨me br?l¨¦e he likes; that will soften the topic,¡± Zoe tells her. ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± She groans, ¡°but yes, I will make him something nice, but Tatum really wants more kids.¡± ¡°It will be fine, Macey,¡± I tell her. She bites her lip nervously, and I had never seen her so anxious about telling someone something. Macey had no filter, and at times her words could be brutal, so to see her so nervous told me she really liked Tatum. The kids came racing out when the bell rang, and Macey made arrangements with Zoe to drop Taylor off to her, and I buckled Vrian in. ¡°Ring me if you need me,¡± I tell Macey, and she nods. ¡°Good luck,¡± Zoe calls to both of us. ¡°And I will see you at 4:30 PM Mace,¡± Zoe calls out. Macey waves to her and nods once before climbing in her own car with Taylor. Jumping in the driver¡¯s seat, I headed home and got a bag ready for Vrian, and packed him some clothes for the night However, when I got to Kalen¡¯s, he didn¡¯t seem to want me to leave. He kept wanting to show me stuff and talk. Man, could he talk the leg off an iron pot. I tried to remind him I was going to cook Valen dinner tonight, but still, he insisted I stay. Definitely Chinese food; it is what I dered by the time I was about to leave when Valen mind ¨C linked me just as I sat in the driver¡¯s seat. ¡°Having fun with dad?¡± Valenughed. ¡°Did you set me up?¡± I asked him, and heughed through the link. ¡°Yep, Dad said you were dropping Vrian over and were going to make me dinner?" ¡°Well, it looks like Chinese now. It¡¯s almost dinnertime already,¡± I say with a sigh. This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. ¡°Good thing I organized dinner then,¡± Valen says. ¡°It better not be your sausage; I was actually nning on cooking actual food,¡± I growl. ¡°It is real food, but you will definitely have a feed on my sausageter,¡± Valenughs. ¡°What are you making?¡± ¡°Hurry home, and you¡¯ll find out,¡± Valen purrs through the mind link. Iugh and cut the connection. Driving home, I parked underground before grabbing the small velvet box out and slipping it into my handbag. It felt like it weighed a ton; I couldn¡¯t believe I was actually going to do this, and my palms became sweaty as I waited for the lift to take me to the top floor. Nerves twisted in my stomach as I pushed open the door while giving myself a pep talk, Zoe¡¯s idea sounding better and better. Yep, I was going to do what she said, or I would chicken out. I wandered down the entry way flicking the hall light on and shaking my head, wondering why it was so damn dark. And I knew he was home, and I could smell something cooking. ¡°Valen?¡± I called out, but got no answer. I mutter to myself, and drop my bag on the hall stand, rummage through it, and grab the small box out, gulping I turn the corner into the living room and kitchen to find the whole ce lit with candles on every surface and rose petals. Stunned, I stopped and gaped, wondering how long I was gone, knowing this must have taken some time to set up, it was only 5:30 PM, and I left here at 4:30, and there were hundreds of candles. I considered the fire risk briefly when Valen cleared his throat making me realize he was right in front of me on one knee. ¡°I nned on doing this next week. But Dion called, so I had to improvise,¡± Valen says. ¡°How?¡± I asked; this would have taken more than an hour? ¡°Marcus, and Tatum, while I cooked and screamed like a banshee for them to light them, and rip roses apart,¡± Valen chuckles. ¡°You don¡¯t get to take this from me,¡± he whispers before turning his palm over, and opening a velvet box, revealing a ring. ¡°I watched, I saw, and I loved you more, so Everly Summers, will you marry me? Valen asks. Thank god, he asked because I was about to chicken out, yet I couldn¡¯t stop the stupid grin that split onto my face or the tears that rolled down my cheeks as I nodded my head. ¡°Yes,¡± I replied, and he let out a breath before taking my hand and slipping the ring on my finger. I peered down at it. Recognizing the ring, only now it was shiny, and the stone was reced. ¡°Is this?¡± I was about to ask, recognizing it as one of Vrie¡¯s rings, and he stood up. ¡°My mother¡¯s, yes. Vrian helped choose the stone, but,¡± he slips the ring off, showing the inscription inside it was what he said. ¡®I watched, I saw & loved you more.¡¯ ¡°I will spend the rest of my life loving and watching you,¡± he whispered before slipping the ring back onto my finger before lifting my chin and kissing me. Chapter 111 Chapter 111 I kiss him back before remembering his ring in my hand and pulling away when he growls, gripping the back of my neck; his lips cover mine again as he kisses me deeply, his tongue dominating my mouth. Oh, well, I guess I¡¯ll give it to himter. I thought as he pushed me against the entryway hall stand. My ass hit it, making everything on the top rattle, and my handbag fell off with a thud. I put the ring box in the small bowl that rocks precariously on the edge when he grips my thighs, making me shriek as he sits me on top of it.. He chuckles, his lips moving to my neck, but I grip the cor of his shirt, yanking him toward me. I bit down on his lip with a growl and kissed him as he pushed himself between my legs, my fingers working down his button, trying to undo them as lust burned through me, searing my veins and making my skin warm. My fingers trailed down the hard ridges of his chest and abs before I tugged on his belt. Valen¡¯s tongue tangled with mine in a fight for control that I was on the verge of losing when I pushed him back, trying to undo his damn belt. His fingers wrapped around my wrists, prying my hands away before his arm went around my waist. The other to my thigh before he hoisted me higher and nearly stumbled into the dining room table as I wrapped my legs around his waist when he growled about to press me against the dining room table when I pulled away and shrieked. ¡°Candles, Candles!¡± I tell him as he nearly lifted and cooked my ass on a heap. ¡°Whoops,¡± heughs, turning and heading for the bedroom. ¡°No! Put them out first,¡± I gasp, and he groans before moving toward the table and blowing them out quickly before he turns toward the hall leading toward our room. What about the rest? Now I had pointed out the candles. I kept thinking of the fire hazard in the living room, dining room, and kitchen. Valen did not seem to care as his lips left mine and nipped at my chin and neck before his teeth grazed over my mark, making me grip his hair to tug his head back. His hDJI} [1]8s squeeze my ass, and I moan into his mouth. But the candles!! ¡°Valen the candles,¡± I murmur around his lips that assaulted mine as he pushed me against the bed and pressed himself between my legs. His weight kept off me with his arm beside my head as he rocked his hips against me, making me moan softly, ¡°Valen the candles. Candles!¡± I shrieked, and he groaned. Pulling away and looking down at me. ¡°They¡¯re fine,¡± he growls, nipping at my lips, but I shake my head. ¡°Everly, I will smell them if they set anything on fire,¡± he says and I purse my lips. ¡°Geez woman, you¡¯re a pain in my ass,¡± he purrs before pushing off me and walking out, muttering about having to blow out the candles. I heard him groan and Iugh as he blew them out. ? ¡°Fuck! Whose stupid idea was this?!¡± I hear him curse, and Iugh as I move toward the edge of the bed and remove my shirt and bra when he walks back in, tugging his belt from his ck cks. I reach for him the moment he is close enough, gripping the waistband of his pants and ripping him toward me. I unzip his pants before yanking them down his legs, making himugh as he steps out of them when I grab his hard cock in my hand, wrapping my lips around the end, licking up the pre-cum and he groans. 1 Valen¡¯s hips jerk, and he sighs. His fingers ran through my hair. I ran my tongue up the side of his shaft, sucking on the tip. I move my hands between his legs, cupping his balls before tugging down on them. He groans as I take him in my mouth, sucking every inch of his aroused flesh, bobbing my head as I find my rhythm, while enjoying the noises he made. I knew it was hard for him not to thrust into my mouth as he wanted, his legs shaking when I grip his hips, pulling him onto the bed. ¡°I¡¯m not sure how I feel about you manhandling me,¡± heughs as I shove him backward on his back and move to kneel between his legs. My fingers wrap around his shaft, and I stroke his hard length before dipping my head and wrapping my lips around him again. ¡°Fuck!¡± he curses, his hand fisting my hair as his cock glides over my tongue. Lifting my eyes, I watch his reactions as I suck harder, enjoying the way his hand trembled in my hair as he tried but then failed to not force me down on him. I gagged and growled, and he lifted his hands in mock surrender, cing them behind his head. ¡°I won¡¯t touch, promise,¡± he smirked. I returned my lips to his cock, swirling my tongue around the tip. ¡°But I am d I was right,¡± he chuckles, and I looked at him, taking more of him in my mouth and his lips part. ¡°Right about what?¡± I mind linked since my mouth was full of his girth. ¡°That you would be eating my sausage,¡± heughed, and I graze my teeth up his cock and raise an eyebrow at him. 2 ¡°I¡¯ll be quiet, just keep sucking, I¡¯ll be quiet,¡± he says, winking at me and I cover my teeth with my lips and continue sucking his cock while running my tongue along his length. Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. ¡°Just eat your sausage,¡± he chuckles, and my lips leave his cock with an audible pop, and I was about to go off at him when he sat up, gripping my arms and yanking me on top of him before rolling, so our positions were reversed. He kisses me softly, cutting off the profanities I was going to spit at him. His hips roll against mine, and I gasp before he sits back on his knees and grips my tights, pulling them down my legs. Valen tosses them aside before gripping my knees, pushing them apart before running his hands up my thighs, exposing me to him. His gaze making me hot. I never felt self conscious with him, theplete opposite, so I didn¡¯t feel the need to cover up or close my legs as his eyes trailed over my naked body. His gaze between my legs, his hand moving down my thigh to the apex of my legs so he could brush his thumb against my clit, his fingers syed across my lower abdomen as he rubbed his thumb over it, making me moan softly as he teased me. I rock my hips against him, but his other hand pushes on my thigh harder, holding me still. His hand moves, and he runs his fingertips over my lower lips before twisting his hand and slipping his index finger inside me, making me gasp as he slides it out, watching as he corkscrewed back in. He added a second finger, and I threw my head back, lifting my hips for him. He fucked me with his fingers, sliding them in out, watching my reactions as he forced them in deeper and his thumb pressed against my clit. I squeezed my eyes shut as I felt my orgasm building and getting nearer as he built up friction. The bed dipped, and he sucked on my nipple before tugging on it with his teeth. He sits back, watching his fingers plunge inside me, before cing his other hand on my chest and squeezing my breast. Moving his fingers harder and faster while squeezing my breast with the other and rolling my nipple between his fingers, watching me squirm. The entire room smelled of lust and my arousal. Valen leans down and kisses me. There was an urgency and heat to the kiss as our tongue tangled. His tongue was hot as it dominated my mouth. He pushed my leg higher, trapping one between his arm and body as he positioned himself at my entrance before sinking his hard cock into my depths and our bodies came together, his hips flush against mine. Valen held himself up before dragging his cock out and sliding it around my opening and farther up towards my clit and coating himself in my arousal. Valen groaned before he pushed the head of his cock inside again. He pushed in slowly, inch by inch until he was sheathed deep inside me. His lips move to my neck and up my jaw before kissing me. He pumped into me slowly. His cock brushed all the right ces and drove me wild with the slow pace. I rock my hips against him, wanting him to move faster. When he squeezed my thigh harder before he grabbed my hips and began pounding into me. My muscles squeeze around him whenever he thrusts into me. My skin heated, and my breath turned to pants as I rolled my hips against him, trying to take more of him. Enjoying the friction he was building up, my skin warmed, and I felt my walls grip his cock as my orgasm rolled over me, making me cry out. His lips cover mine, swallowing my moans as he slows, letting me ride the orgasm out while I trembled beneath him. Valen pulls out abruptly. And I sat up on my elbows and watched him climb off the bed, knowing he hadn¡¯t finished. He wanders into the closet before returning with a bottle of lube, and something else tucked in the palm of his hand. He kneeled on the bed, watching me as he dropped the bottle on the nket beside him, but not whatever was in his hand. Instead, he gripped my ankles and ripped me toward him, making my head hit the mattress. His hands gripped my hips, wondering what he was doing when he flipped me over and tugged my hips up in the air. I groaned when his cock pushed inside me with one thrust before he dragged it out slowly. His hand pulling my cheeks apart so he could watch himself slip in and out of me when I felt his hand move over my ass, his thumb pressing against my back entrance. I squirm when he probes it with his thumb and I pull away slightly, only for him to pull me back, mming me back on his cock. I groaned, relenting, and he pumps himself into me a few times before slowing, his thumb still pressing against my back entrance. ¡°Valen, you are not sticking anything in my ass,¡± I growl at him, and he chuckles. ¡°Really?¡± he purrs, pressing his thumb down harder and making me squirm. ¡°I won¡¯t hurt you, and I will stop if you don¡¯t like it,¡± he says and I roll my eyes as he thrusts into me slower. Not hurt? Yeah, right! Has he seen the size of his cock? It wasn¡¯t going anywhere near my ass. ¡°Nope! Not happening!¡± I tell him. ¡°It¡¯s happening. I¡¯m locking in the hubs and going up the mud track,¡± he says, ¡°Don¡¯t be crude! And no, we are not!¡± I screech. ¡°We¡¯re going to brown town!¡± he states with augh. I ¡°Fuck, you suck at the dirty talk,¡± I snarled, but also couldn¡¯t help butugh at his vulgar words. ¡°I¡¯m fucking that ass,¡± he purrs before pping my butt and making me hiss. He rubs it, and I jump when I feel the cold sensation of the lube as it trickles between my cheeks. Valen thrusts into me, his thumb returning to my ass, and I growl but figured I would entertain his silly little obsession with my butt. Valen groans as his hips p against my ass, and I push back against him, meeting his thrusts when his hand on my hip moves, his rhythm remaining steady, and I moan as his cock hits my cervix. This position was deeper and so much more thrilling when he grips my shoulder, shoving it down to the mattress. Valen pushed the top half of me entirely on the bed before he picked up his pace, pounding into me and making me scream as my walls grip him, fluttering around him, when I feel his thumb slide into me. It wasn¡¯t painful, just an odd sensation, an odd but good sensation making me push back against him. ¡°See?¡± he murmurs, drawing his cock out slower and mming back into me. His hand fisted on my hip suddenly started vibrating as he reached around, pressing something small against my clit. The sensation makes me gasp as it sent shock waves through me. It took everything not to sink into the bed at the feeling. Valen leaves his fingertips there, and I move my hips against them when he moves them away, making me growl at the loss of his fingers and the vibration. He leans forward, gripping my wrist and tugging it behind me, and dropping the bullet-shaped thing in my hand. ¡°Touch yourself with it. Just don¡¯t press the button until I tell you too.¡± he says, drawing my hand back toward my hip. He didn¡¯t have to tell me twice. I wasn¡¯t a prude and spent a reasonable amount of time searching adult toy stores with the girls. My hand moves between my legs, and I moan as I run the device between my swollen pussy lips while Valen rammed into me, his thumb still inside my back entrance. He pulls out of me, and I miss the fullness of him stretching me when I feel him grip my hips and drag me to the edge of the bed. I squealed as he set me back on my knees, then shoving my top half down when I went to sit up. He kneels at the end of the bed before I feel his hand lock around my wrist, cing my hand back between my thighs. I moan at the vibration of the small toy when I feel his hot breath sweep over my pussy. His hands on the back of my thighs pushes my legs open more before he forces his tongue inside me, licking up my arousal as it spilled from me, and teasing more out of me. His tongue moving between my folds and back to my entrance, hungrily tasting every part of me, when his hand on my ass moves between my cheeks, and I feel him shove his lubricated finger inside my back entrance. I moan at the sensation when he slides his finger out, adding another, stretching me while I y with the toy in my hand. His fingers pushing in deeper and harder, and my walls clench. There was something thrilling and very sordid about it, but erotic, too. Valen sucks on my swollen lower lips, dipping his tongue inside before standing and lining himself up with my back passage. He presses the tip against my back entrance, and I tense. ¡°Press the button on the top of it,¡± Valen purrs, and I do. The vibration grew stronger, and I moaned, my body rxing as he rubbed my ass before pressing further inside me. I choke, my hand clutching the sheets as I hold my breath, and he stills, pulling my hand back between my legs, ¡°Don¡¯t move your hand,¡± he says, kissing my shoulder and pressing the button on top again. The thing felt like it would vibrate apart in my hand as the vibration intensified. And I quickly ce my hand back between my legs. Valen remains still, and I feel him coat himself in more lube, working his cock into me slowly ¡°That¡¯s it,¡± He whispers, leaning down and kissing the side of my ribs, his stubble making me a my sensitive skin. I moaned as the small device vibrated against my clit, and Valen increased his speed before I felt his hips p mine, and he groans. Valen stills for a second when I rock back against him. He let me move against him for a few minutes until I was moaning mess and slowed my pace. He gripped my hips, mming into me; I was so close and was pushing back against him, taking what he gave me. Valen¡¯s grip tightened on me, and he pumped into me harder. I cried out as my skin tingles when he gripped my shoulder and ripped me back against him, his chest pressed against my back as he thrust into me. His hand t on my stomach moved to my hand between legs, and he took the device holding in ce, sliding it between my soaking wet folds and rubbing it against my clit, his lips travel down my neck as he sucked on my mark, his other hand squeezing my breast. ¡°Cum for me,¡± he purrs, licking my mark before grazing his teeth over my mark. Ie apart with a scream, his arms the only thing holding me upright as my legs trembled, wanting to give out from under me as he sank his teeth into my neck, remarking me and extending my orgasm. Valen groans against my neck, and I feel him still inside me. He clutched me tighter, and he pulls his teeth from my neck before trailing his tongue up my neck and sucking on my ear. ¡°I love you,¡± he whispers. ¡°I love you too,¡± I tell him out of breath when he pulls out of me. ¡°I¡¯ll run you a bath,¡± he chuckles behind me before kissing my shoulder. I nodded breathlessly and copsed on the bed when he spoke again. ¡°And I should probably reheat dinner, even though you just had a feed of sausage,¡± Heughs, and I reach for my pillow before lobbing it at him. He ducks andughs while walking into the bathroom. ** *** It was the incessant noise of my phone ringing that woke me the next morning, and had me untangling myself from Valen. He growls, trying to tug me back to him while I lean over him reaching for my phone. The screen lit up, and it was still dark outside so it must have been early. Valen¡¯s hands trail up my sides before he purrs, his lips locking around my nipple as I snatch my phone from the bedside table as I lean over him. Peering at the screen, I see Macey¡¯s picture pop up on the screen. I sit up and Valen tries tugging me back to him and sessfully pulling me on top of him. I push off his chest, straddling his waist as I answer it. Valen¡¯s hand rubs my thighs as he mutters under his breath. ¡°Macey?¡± I ask, answering the call and holding it to my ear. ¡°Macey?¡± I say again when I hear a choked whimper ¡°I didn¡¯t know who else to call. I can¡¯t go home. My brother moved back in with my mother when I moved out. Zoe¡¯s ce is too small, and you know we sh when living with each other,¡± she says before sobbing. ¡°Mace, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Can Taylor and Ie stay the night? I know it¡¯s terrible timing, but I told him, Evie. I told him and he stormed out. I don¡¯t want to be here when he gets back,¡± Macey cries. ¡°Of course,e over. I will set up the spare room,¡± I tell her and she quickly says goodbye. Valen stares up at me, his amber eyes glowing in the dark as he peered up at me. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± he says. ¡°I think Tatum just broke up with Macey,¡± I murmur and he sits up. ¡°What?¡± Valen says, shocked, but I didn¡¯t want to say anything because I wasn¡¯t sure what was going on myself. I climb off him and retrieve some clothes. ¡°I need to set up the spare room,¡±I tell him and he gets up, grabbing some shorts. ¡°I¡¯ll help,¡± he says and I nod and Valen pulls his pants on. Chapter 112 Chapter 112 Macey POV I felt like an idiot ringing Everly, but I couldn¡¯t sit there and try to hold myself together in front of Zoe; she was too emotional, and seeing her cry would make me bloody cry. The woman was a damn onion. Zoe wore her emotions for the world to see. I loved that about her, but I just wanted silence right now. Everly was the opposite. I swear she is made of steel. It took a lot to break the woman. Everly was our rock. She was the glue that held us all together; she never judged, questioned, and was just there when you needed her, no matter what. So that is why I chose her. I would have gone home to mum, but even she wasn¡¯t an option. She would me me, and rightfully so. Mum loved Tatum, and so did Taylor. Now Tatum was just another person ripped away from her right as she got used to them, another way I had failed her. Taylor was at Zoe¡¯s, and I was going to go over and pick her up, but I decided against it as I climbed into m y car. I felt terrible knowing I was ruining her night, yet I knew Tatum woulde home eventually, and I couldn¡¯t face him. I just hoped he only needed time to get himself together. I should have known better. Werewolf men are all the same. They want heirs, something I couldn¡¯t provide. Was it too much to ask for somebody to want me and not what I could give them? My phone vibrates as I am about to pull out of the driveway. I stop, and my hands are racing to dig it out o f my handbag shakily. Tatum¡¯s name pops up. It is only a text message, and I open it. Tatum: Can you leave the back door open? I have lost my keys. Macey: I¡¯m still home; I haven¡¯t left. Tatum: I will grab some clothes tomorrow while you¡¯re at work. Macey: Want me to drop some clothes over to you? Where are you? Tatum: No, and I am at Creed¡¯s ce. I don¡¯t want to see you right now. Just leave me be. You and Taylor can stay there until we figure something else out. Macey: I¡¯ll leave my keys in the mailbox for you. I am not staying in your house while you sleep on your friend¡¯s couch. I replied before tossing my phone back into my bag. It rings, C)4;|?Gd I ignore it. I don¡¯t want a handout, and I am not living in a house that belongs to someone who wants nothing to do with me. Turning my car off, I twist the house key off before heading inside. I grab one of the moving boxes from the shed and load up some of Taylor¡¯s toys that I know she won¡¯t go without before grabbing her school clothes and my work uniforms, and our documentation. The rest I will organize to pick upter. If not, I¡¯ll just dip into my savings to rece it. I knew how this worked. It wasn¡¯t the first time I let myself get my hopes up. Once I had my bag packed and a box under my arms full of Taylor¡¯s stuff, I flicked off the lights and locked the door. Dropping the key in the mailbox before popping the trunk. I drop everything in before climbing into my car. I drove to Everly¡¯s, angry with myself. If I had told him from the start, I could have avoided all this. We would still be perfect strangers that f*cked once on a desk. How it should have remained. Yet as I pulled up at Valen¡¯s and Everly¡¯s ce, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to get out of the car. My mind was gued with what I would tell Taylor. She really likes Tatum, and he was good to her and the first real father figure she had. Her own father was a dropkick. Taylor¡¯s father, Preston, beat me when I told him I was pregnant. He hoped I would lose her. I was warned by my mother not to get involved with him. My mother was right. He was no good. Mum then patched me up, and we waited to see if I would miscarry. But my girl was a fighter. My next encounter with Preston was at the shopping center when I was with Vrie. I lost sight of Vrie as I wandered down an aisle with Taylor. Yet the panic I felt when he walked into the same aisle with his pregnant sister nearly made my heart stop. Preston looked into the pram and snarled when he realized he didn¡¯t sessfully abort his own child. I had left the aisle in search of Vrie when she couldn¡¯t be found, so I went to the parking garage. I had just gotten Taylor into her car seat when he attacked me from behind. He mmed my head into the door trim, splitting my forehead open. Luckily, the keys were still clutched in my hand, and all I kept thinking was that I needed to lock the car. I needed to protect her from him, so I hit the key fob and got to my feet as he tried to rip the car door open. Me or her. And I chose her. I would always choose her, even if it cost my life. That¡¯s what being a parent is. You give yourst breath so they can take another. I was a rogue, and Preston was sher Pack¡¯s Gamma¡¯s son. His reputation was on the line, and Taylor could destroy it. So I did the only thing I could at the time. I hit the speed dial on my phone, which was Vrie¡¯s number. I then dropped the phone while he smashed the windows, trying to get to her. Until Vrie could get to her, I needed to keep him distracted. And that¡¯s what I did. Taylor was screaming her head off in the car, but I just kept thinking I couldn¡¯t let him touch her, so I kept getting back up. So, as he reached through the driver¡¯s seat window to unlock her door, I picked up a broken piece of ss and plunged it into his neck. Vrie came out momentster, frantic with a bat she had stolen on her way out that she grabbed from one of the disy stands. Yet it was toote, Preston was bleeding out at my feet, and I was looking at prison time. Or so I thought. Vrie had grabbed my arms and shook me because all I could do was stare at his dead body, choking and gasping for air as he stared at me helplessly. ¡°You didn¡¯t kill him,¡± Vrie said to me. I remember staring at her when she raised the bat and hit him in the head. Once, twice, thrice. ¡°I did! Now get in the car while I clean this up,¡± she said. However, I couldn¡¯t function, and she ended up putting me in the car, and she made a call. At the time, I was in too much shock for it to register who she called, yet he came. ¡°Get home. I will take care of it,¡± Kalen told her, and that was the end. Kalen took the wrap and said it was self-defense. The camera footage miraculously disappeared, and it was sshed over every newspaper about how sher packs Gamma¡¯s son attacked the Blood Alpha¡¯s father. Only four people really knew what happened. Vrie, Kalen, and Everly, and myself because when Vrie brought me back to the hotel, she rang Everly to help clean me up. After that, we never spoke of it again. Yet today, I still have the bat, the bat Valerie gave me. 1 After that, she put me in self-defense sses and watched Taylor for me while I went to every ss, determined not to feel helpless again. Yet right now, as I sat in the car park of Valens hotel, one so simr to that ce, I was reminded of that helplessness, only this time it was my fault. My phone rang in my bag, and Everlys ringtone yed. Reaching over, I grabbed it out and answered it. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. ¡°Where are you? Did you pick up Taylor?¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t want to wake her or Zoe,¡± I answered. ¡°Okay, where are you?¡± She asked. ¡°In the car park,¡± I admit. I just couldn¡¯t be bothered moving and destroying their good night while mine fell apart. So stupid! So, so stupid! I thought when the phone hung up. I couldn¡¯t remember if I said goodbye o r not or if I hung up on her. I felt numb, stuck in memories of men¡¯s worst and the one good one I drove away. The driver¡¯s side door opens. ¡°Move over,¡± she says, and I unplug my seatbelt and slide into the passenger seat. She climbs in, starting m y car before leaving the underground car park and going to the rooftop car park. She parks up the top and swings her door open. ¡°Get out,¡± she says, walking to the front of the car. She then climbs on the hood and rests her head against the window. ¡°Everly, it¡¯s freezing! And you¡¯re pregnant,¡± I tell her, but she pats the hood, and I roll my eyes. ¡°Best warm me up then,¡± she says, and Iugh, climbing up beside her. She wiggles closer, the metal creaking under our weight. Everly rests her head on my shoulder, and I wrap my arms around her. And she asks what happened and I exin, then we watch the sunrise together. ¡°Where¡¯s Valen?¡± ¡°Dunno. Probably still inside,¡± she says. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for ruining your night,¡± ¡°Na, you¡¯ re good. Valen knows us girls are a package deal,¡± Iugh because she was right, no one would evere between us three, we had a sisterhood stronger than any bond. ¡°He¡¯lle around, Mace,¡± Everly says. ¡°And if he doesn¡¯t?¡± I ask. ¡°n B! And Valen gets an extra wife,¡± sheughs. I sigh. Everly could always switch a situation. 1 ¡°I am dreading telling Taylor,¡± I admit and she nods. ¡°It will be alright. She has you, Zoe, and me.¡± I nod, knowing she is right. We had each other. Always each other. Wey there in silence, watching the colors of the sky change when someone clears their throat. I turn my head to find Valen holding a nket and a tray of coffees. ¡°Room for one more? Or will we break this rice bubble car?¡± Iugh because we have definitely dented the hood, yet we shimmy over, and he climbs on next to Everly, passing us our coffees, and Everly raises an eyebrow at him. ¡°Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know that it was Macey or Zoe swapping out the coffee in that jar,¡± he says, kissing her cheek. ¡°It was me,¡± I lied for Zoe, and Everlyughed. Valen clicks his tongue. ¡°You three are terrible, but I¡¯ll let it slide,¡± heughs while chucking the nket over the three of us. ¡°Did Evie tell ya you may have an extra wife?¡± I chuckled, mucking around with him. ¡°Really? Sounds like a bad reality show,¡± he says, kissing her head and rubbing her arms to warm her freezing skin. ¡°I will have the hotel set up one of the apartments for you until you and Tatum sort everything out. If you don¡¯t, you know you¡¯re always wee here. Until your hotel opens up, then I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll want to move back there,¡± Valens says. ¡°Yeah, true. I could stay with Zoe if it puts you out too much,¡± I tell them. ¡°Or you could stay at one of the apartments there since you own it,¡± Everly says when Valen moves, digging in his pocket. He hands me some rolled-up documents. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± I asked. ¡°We wanted to give it to you and Zoe when we opened back up,¡± Everly tells me. I unrolled it and looked at it to find the title changed. Mine and Zoe¡¯s names are now on it, as equal partners with Everly. ¡°I can¡¯t ept this! Zoe won¡¯t ept this!¡± I tell them, shaking my head. ¡°You can and will. Everly wanted to cut you, girls, in any way, but I don¡¯t want her taking your money. Save it for the arcade. But you all built that ce, made it what it was. And you looked after my mate and son when I didn¡¯t, so I will foot the bill as my way of saying thank you. And you will ept and sign it,¡± Valen says. ¡°And you¡¯re okay with this? It was your mother¡¯s,¡± I asked him. ¡°Of course! Besides, you just said I had an extra wife, so I¡¯m not losing anything,¡± heughs. ¡°Guys, I can¡¯t. ¡° ¡°If not for you, ept it for Taylor,¡± Everly says, cutting me off. I nodded, and Zoe was going to lose her sh*t. ¡°Thank you,¡± I tell them, not knowing what else to say. They both nod, and Everly lifts my arm and ces her head back on my shoulder. Chapter 113 Chapter 113 Everly POV We helped Macey settle in, and Valen was pissed off with Tatum and even rang him. Though he assured me that it wasn¡®t that she couldn¡®t have kids, that it was because she didn¡®t tell him from the start and to give him space. I tried to tell Macey this, but she wouldn¡®t listen and said she was done and that it was for the best. Macey had gone to get Taylor from Zoe¡®s the following morning, and she would be staying on the floor below. I knew everything would work out in the end. Macey was stubbom, and once you hurt her, she walked. She always said she didn¡®t have time for drama, and she was right. None of us did, yet we always found ourselves stuck in it. ¡°I will go grab Vrian from your father,¡± I tell Valen as I scoop up my handbag from off the floor by the hallstand. I rummaged for my keys before spotting the ring box. With everything going on, I forgot to give it to him. I grabbed it, and his arms wrapped around me from behind, and he kissed my shoulder. I went to open it, but now I knew why Dion was so insistent on this ring. Because it actually matched and had simr marked patterns etched around the outside. Valen¡¯s hand mps over my mine, closing the box before I can open it. ¡°Put it in the safe. Save it for when I marry you,¡± he purrs ¡°You don¡®t want to see?¡± I ask him, and he confirms my thoughts. ¡°Nope. I trust Dion helped you pick it out, so I know it will match,¡± he chuckles. I sighed, closing it though, I wanted to show him the engraving it had inside. I guess it could wait. ¡°Go get Vrian,¡± he says, turning me around to face him. I hand him the box, and he pockets it. ¡°Then you can put this away then,¡± I tell him, and he nods. Three weekster Weeks passed, and Nixon was really pushing my father to go to the media to back him up, but after his ims, the city was divided. Valen¡®s pack scientists had been trying to replicate the vine and had so far been unsessful. Despite Nixon saying he was doing it to help the city BLN0JFKS the forsaken. He refused ess to this so¨Ccalled facility, even when Valen mentioned it at the Alpha conference meeting Nixon imed he didn¡®t want the pack bing involved and the vine slipping into the wrong hands. In other words, he didn¡®t want the vine replicated, knowing he had nothing to use over my father. And with the debt hanging over my head, he used it to get his way in the council. Nixon also still fought me with the Roguews being changed. Ballets went out, and the city was given a voice, yet most were too scared to go against Nixon. We were still fighting for the change, but now he imed that my father handed the pack over after threats from Valen. And until the debt was paid, Nixon still had partial ownership therefore, my vote didn¡®t count. And if I marry Valen before it is paid, then we are one pack and his wouldn¡®t matter either. Leaving the sher pack in a precarious position if he goes against Nixon, seeing as they have business dealings together. Nixon had the cites people wrapped around his demented finger. He also imed that letting the restrictions against the Rogues be expunged would endanger the city, since they were only one step from bing forsaken. His logic made no sense, yet the media ate it up. And when the votes went out, our packs weren¡¯t allowed to vote on it. The sher Pack Alpha had confided in Valen that he was also worried about Nixon, and how the constant media attention was dividing the city. He believed too, that Nixon was doing something that would sway the city to get rid of the Roguespletely. We just had to figure out what. And just to add extra protection to himself, he had reporters with him constantly, so no one could get to him, and his every move was watched. He looked like the city¡®s hero and caused hysteria within the packs, including ours, who had been questioning everything. The Rogues were being painted as viins. Nixon imed that the missing rogues were choosing to turn forsaken. And that it would only be a matter of time before the rest follow to take down the city. So we were at a standstill. I had just dropped Vrian to school and was headed to the Hotel when I was pulled over by one of Nixon¡®s officers. The police sirens went off behind me, and I pulled over. This was bing a daily thing. And before the officer even reached my car, I wound down my window and held my license and registration. ¡°What is it today, Cleo? Bald tires? No, you imed that yesterday. Taillight? Na, it can¡¯t be that. That was the day before. You¡¯re gonna have to be crafty this time.¡± I tell him. ¡°And why is that?¡± he asks, peering in the window. He looks in the back at the empty car seat. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re running out of bullshit to fine me for,¡± I tell him. This was a waste of time, and it was starting to irritate me. I rest my head back on the headrest. Rubbing my hands over my huge swollen belly, I was only 9 weeks pregnant, but my stomach was already looking quite round. Macey was right. I would be the size of a house. He examines my truck, writing more tickets and passing them to me. I stuff them in the glove box with the rest. Officer Cleo follows me all the way to the Hotel so I drive extra slowly, earning honks from drivers behind him. Pulling in the ce was nearly halfway to being finished, and I was excited to open it again. Yet, the bigger I got, the harder it got to move around, and I was constantly hungry and horny. Damn, was I horny? Poor Valen had his stamina tested, that¡®s for sure. Pulling in, I spoke with the project manager while waiting for my mother. She rang yesterday asking if she could go baby shopping with me. It was such a bizarre situation for me to see her so supportive of this pregnancy, and I had to keep reminding myself things were different this time around. Yet the same fears remained. Even with Valen¡®s reassurance, I was constantly waiting to be turfed out and cast away likest time. I knew a lot of it had to do with pregnancy hormones, but my anxiety levels were constantly through the roof. Sleep had be troublesome not only for me but for Valen. Yet as much as he tried to understand, I knew he didn¡®t get the lock thing. Anxiety made me paranoid, hormones made me overly sensitive to everything, and the stress was getting to me. I was still talking to the manager when I saw my mother¡®s car pull into the parking space beside mine. We were going in her car. I smiled and waved when I saw her. Quickly, I finished my conversation with the project manager before wandering over to her. I climbed into her car, cing my handbag between my feet before cing my belt on while she reached over the back to retrieve something from the backseat. She drops a bag on myp. ¡°I made them something,¡± she tells me, and I open it to find matching yellow crochet booties and beanies. I smiled and thanked her, looking at how small they were. It was hard to imagine Vrian that little again, so they looked so tiny in my hands. ¡°We can go baby bunting first if you like,¡± she said, and I nodded. ¡°Yes, Valen said he would meet us for lunch, though,¡± I tell her. Every weekend since, my parentse over on Saturdays for dinner to spend time with Vrian. Vrian, at first, was wary of them. Although he had asked me if he could go to training with my father. It was a little odd and took some convincing for Valen to allow it, but we merged pack training, so both packs now trained at the arena every Sunday together, and any rogues that wished to attend also trained with them. Valen had been taking Vrian along. Valen thinks he is too little to train, but I was training from the moment I could walk, and I knew my father wouldn¡¯t allow him to get hurt. I attended thest one, and it was odd seeing my father training my son, so much simr to the way he taught me. For the most part, life was good, Ava was even training, and I could tell it meant a lot to mum that everyone was getting along again. However, pulling up at the baby shop, my mother stared out the window as she stopped the car. ¡°I should have done this with youst time,¡± she murmured, staring up at the store decorations. I swallowed but said nothing. ¡°We failed you,¡± she adds, and I nod, not knowing what to say. Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. They did, big time, I epted and moved on from that, or so I thought. My anxiety said otherwise. For the most part, I hade to terms with everything and didn¡¯t see the point of dwelling in the past that I couldn¡®t change. ¡°You¡®re here now. Let¡®s focus on that,¡± I tell her, but she shakes her head. ¡°We should have told you, protected you, and gone to Valen. Nixon would have made you keep him and used him against you and your father. We knew that was no ce for a child to be raised amid war. We messed up. We thought we were protecting you, instead, we destroyed you.¡± ¡°You think you destroyed me? You didn¡®t,¡± I tell her. ¡°How can you say that? When your father came home and told me you were going to let us be a part of your life, I almost didn¡®t believe him after everything we had done. We didn¡®t deserve a second chance,¡± she says, staring off vacantly. ¡°No, you didn¡®t deserve a second chance.¡± she looks at me and nods, her lip quivering. ¡°Hating you doesn¡®t hurt you, only me. I haven¡®t got time to hate mum. I haven¡®t got time to harbor the sort of energy that would take. You think you destroyed me, you did, and I¡®m not sure I will ever fully forgive that, but some good came of it,¡± I tell her. ¡°Vrie?¡± She asks, and I nod. Vrie was a massive part of it. Her influence in my life was greater than any passage of time I had endured, but that wasn¡®t all. Mum knew Vrie had taken her ce in my life, and I wasn¡®t afraid of hurting her feelings by her knowing that. ¡°Yes, but also through everything, I found myself. I grew up too soon, but finding my ce came with finding my purpose. A purpose that was more than just being the Alpha¡®s daughter. I found my identity, who I am, the person I was born to be, and that wasn¡¯t in the shadows of another. With thates eptance, mother. I am not some little girl anymore; I am not frightened of the world because I saw it at its worst, lived and endured it, and it didn¡®t break me. It raged an inferno inside me to prove everyone wrong. It showed me I was more than an Alpha.¡± Mum chews her lip. They think I hate them; I don¡®t. I hate things they have done, hate the feelings they invoked, but not them. ¡° I Don¡®t know if I would feel the same if our roles were reversed,¡± she admits. ¡°I used to put you and dad on a pedestal, higher than life. I lived up to that. Then it fell apart. I went from future Alpha to rogue, but there was one title that meant more than that, and it was the title of being Vrian¡®s mother.¡± I tell her and she smiles sadly and nods. ¡°And I was yours, I always regretted not fighting harder for you, I should have as your mother, we wouldn¡¯t be here like this now, wouldn¡¯t feel awkward,¡± so I wasn¡¯t the only one that felt odd, my family had be strangers to me over the years, but still I loved them. ¡°I gained so much more because of it though, and you¡¯re here now. So for that, I don¡¯t hate you because I found I was more than that title; more than your daughter. I just needed to climb my own pedestal and hold myself higher, and doing that made me see everything clearer than when I was the Alpha¡®s daughter. Now I am a mother, friend, Luna, an Alpha, and I am me. So you don¡®t get to im that you solely destroyed me because I wasn¡¯t bom yet. Only I can destroy what I built. Only I can destroy my value because it isn¡¯t up to you to give it to me. Yes at first you destroyed me, then I rebuilt myself but in my image and not that of others, ¡°I tell her, reaching over to grip her hand. I squeezed it. 2 ¡°So don¡®t reminisce about a past that no longer exists. That was just the foundation of a better future,¡± I tell her, and my hands go to my belly, my kids¡® future, mine and Valens¡¯ future. ¡°Soe on, let¡®s shop before I need to pee again; I know that is definitely in my near future, ¡°Iugh, and so does she. We climb out of the car and head inside. We picked out a few things but not knowing the genders, only left options that were neutral However, going to the next store, I noticed my mother was bing fatigued and irritable, not at me but at herself as she tried to keep up. I was looking at cot sheets and mobiles when she made a strange noise down the aisle, ncing over my shoulder at her. She clutched a rack, and her body trembled, the stand shaking under her grip. ¡°Mum?¡± I wandered back over to her. I touched her arm, and her head whipped up, canines protruding, and bloodshot eyes stared back at me as she snarled. I stagger a step back, and she steps toward me before shaking her head. 2 ¡°What did you ask?¡± she said, looking at me expectantly like I had asked something of her. ¡°Oh, this is cute,¡± she gushed, making me wonder if I had imagined it. She held up a onesie, holding it against my belly. ¡°I¡®m kind of tired. I was thinking of heading home soon,¡± I told her. Yet seeing it frightened me. ¡°What? We just got here. Didn¡®t you want to go to baby bunting?¡± She asked me and my eyebrows almost rose into my hairline. We just left there! ¡°We went there first,¡± I told her, and she seemed confused. ¡°We brought the basss?¡± I tell her and her brows furrowed in confusion ¡°I must be tired,¡± she murmured so softly I almost missed it. I needed to speak to dad and Valen. It was like a switch had flicked within her, and so suddenly. ¡°Come on, we will get you home,¡± I tell her, leaving my basket. I text dad toe get her, not wanting her driving. He met us in the car park, and despite me telling her he wasing to get her, she seemed surprised to see him. Dad ced her in the car and handed me mum¡®s keys so I could get back to my car. ¡°Is she always like that?¡± I asked worriedly. Dad sighs, ¡°Yes, when she is due for another dose,¡± he says, looking in the window at her. ¡°It shouldn¡®t being on so quickly,¡± he said, his eyes darkening to ck. ¡°Nixon hasn¡®t stopped treatment?¡± I asked. ¡°No, he wouldn¡®t risk it, but the vine is notsting as long now, wearing off faster like she is bing immune to it,¡± ¡°I will speak to Valen and see what the scientistse up with. If needed, go to the media, and dere the vine not working. Maybe we double the dosage?¡± I asked. ¡°Nixon would kill me,¡± Dad says. ¡°Not with everyone watching. He won¡®t. He will have no choice but to agree or admit his vine doesn¡®t work and let other pack scientists in to help. If he does that, he will lose his sponsors from the other cities. Big pharma won¡®t back him if he can¡®t prove it doesn¡®t work,¡± I tell him, and dad nods. ¡°It will buy us time to find a cure,¡± I tell him. Dad nods before turning to me, ¡°Have you sold thatnd yet? Nixon said the other day he was going to file against the pack soon if it isn¡®t paid,¡± he says guiltily. I shook my head, and Valen said he would sell some of into Valerian¡®s trust, though I would have to put it back. Valen could pay it, but a lot of his money was also the pack¡¯s money, not just his to blow how he liked. Our pack was questioning his authority with all the media attention, as it was. We didn¡¯t need tension to rise more. t could make everything fall apart if he did. ¡°I¡¯ll speak with Valen and try to call a pack meeting. We need to get this taken care of before it bes toote,¡± I tell him, and he nods, giving me a quick hug before climbing in the car to take care of my mother. Chapter 114 Chapter 114 Another four weekster. Everly POV Mum was getting blood tests, and the vine needed to be administered every few days now. I have just hit the 2nd trimester, and the Hotel was only a few weeks from finished. Valen sold most of his shares to pay half the debt owed to Nixon. Still, Nixon pressed for more, and we had enough. Valen¡¯s scientists had managed to replicate the vine a week ago, and now they were working on finding a cure. Yet as we suspected, my mother was bing immune to the vine, and with it came early-onset dementia. She was losing her grip on reality. Dad was beside himself, and Ava was devastated. Macey and Zoe were doing everything at the moment, from the school run to managing the renovations, now that the structure was fully fixed. Kalen ran the Homeless shelter while Dad worked for my pack and Valen his. Life was hectic, and Ava and I were tasked with watching over mum, which meant taking her to these appointments. We also carried tranquilizers everywhere we went with her, just in case. But she could seemingly pull herself out of it before anything wrong happened. Valen hated that I offered to help watch over her, said I was putting myself at risk, and he was right, but she was my mother. The woman taught me to walk, speak, and use a d**n spoon, and I knew if our roles were reversed and it was his father, he would be by his side too. Mum thanks the nurse that took her blood before the doctor administered the next dose, stabbing it into her arm, and she shivers. Her hair was beginning to grey, and she was aging quickly. All this because of Nixon. We had filed against Nixon to have his pack dismantled. My father went to the media two nights ago and outed everything, including the debt and how Nixon was the one who injected my mother. We were waiting for the repercussions, everyone on edge since Dad went lives across the city. Nixon was officially under investigation, and the werewolf council was now involved. Unfortunately, that meant my father was also under investigation C;){x6:. forced to remain in his pack territory, the same as Nixon. It was also another reason why I had to help Ava with mum. Dad couldn¡¯t leave pack borders, and until I married Valen, he had to stay on the opposite side of town, and the vine, now that Nixon wouldn¡¯t administer it, could only be given on Valen¡¯s territory. The investigation was a slow process that would buy us time, maybe not much with tensions on the rise. Riots had started in the streets already, the city wanting answers. Nixon¡¯s pack had gone quiet. They don¡¯t leave their borders, and only trucks with supplies have entered since he found himself in hot water. Mum was in a cheery mood as we left, almost childlike and giddy as she climbed in the car. Ava sat next to her. She was deteriorating fast, and the scientists that are working on the cure were working around the clock. More rogues had gone missing, more turning up along the borders as forsaken, which only amped up Nixon¡¯s ims that they were deliberately turning forsaken to overrun the city. Spection and theories hung over the entire city like a dark cloud, over whose ims to believe. Clipping my seatbelt, my phone started ringing, and I quickly answered it, seeing Zoe¡¯s name pop up on the screen. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s up?¡± I asked. ¡°I need you to pick up the kids for me. We have sprung a leak. And the fire rms, for some reason, turned on and have yet to turn off. Macey is also locked in the basement because it tripped the locks, and I am currently standing in water to my knees,¡± she sighs. Great, this is all we needed. This new tech system was bing a pain in the a*s. So many sensors and I was second-guessing the whole thing ¡°Is Macey alright? Is it flooding down there?¡± ¡°Yeah, she is fine. Currently eating all the chocte and drinking all the wine. At least we know the basement is waterproof,¡± Zoeughs. I chuckle. Bad news, but we would live. ¡°The damage?¡± ¡°Costly,¡± she answers, and I groan. ¡°Okay, I will grab the kids.¡± I nce at my phone screen to see I had to get them now and curse. ¡°I may need to drop mum home first. I only have five seats in this car, and I have mum and Ava with me,¡± I tell her, which means I would bete when I see Tatum outside walking directly toward us. S**t! He must have followed us out. He was on security at the clinic, and he had tried to stop me on the way in but got called away. ¡°Never mind, I have a solution,¡± I tell her hanging up, just as Tatum taps on my window. I push the door open and climb out. ¡°I thought I missed you,¡± he says, tugging on the tie around his neck to loosen it. ¡°Nope, still here. And I kinda need to ask you a favor,¡± I tell him. ¡°Great! Then maybe you could do me a favor?¡± he asks in return. I knew what he wanted, and we had all been at Macey for weeks about it, but she refused to listen. The woman was stubborn, but this was the first time I had spoken to Tatum. Usually, all messages came through Valen, to me, to Macey. It was driving me insane! ¡°You first,¡± I tell him. ¡°Macey has not answered a single call from me. She refuses to speak to me, and I can¡¯t even mind-link with her since she isn¡¯t a pack member.¡± ¡°Well, I have a solution to your problem, too, since you are about to solve mine,¡± I chuckle. ¡°I¡¯m all ears,¡± he says with a smile. ¡°Macey is stuck in the basement, but it has an inte. Zoe is held up, and I need to get the kids from school, including Taylor. Come with me and help pick them up. I don¡¯t really want them in the car with mum,¡± I whisper, and he nces behind me and nods his head. ¡°Now that I can do. I haven¡¯t seen Tay in ages. Wait! Will Macey be okay with that? ¡° he asks, and I shrug. It was either that or I will be 20 minuteste getting them by the time I drive mum back home. ¡°Well, I am out of options, so she¡¯ll get over it,¡± I tell him. ¡°You sure?¡± ¡°She has no choice. Besides, you should both talk. I am sick of passing notes for you both,¡± I tell him, opening my door. ¡°I¡¯ll meet you at the school,¡± he says, and I nod. We pulled up out front, and I quickly raced in and got the kids from their sses. Valen¡¯s pack school was under heavy security at the moment. All children were being required to be signed out with the growing missing reports of out with the growing missing reports of the rogues, Better to be safe than sorry. Walking back out to the car, my phone rings, and I pull it from my pocket and answer it. My father was on the other end. ¡°I am just about to drop her home,¡± I tell him. ¡°No, don¡¯t. Investigators just showed up. I was ringing to see if you could hang onto her a bit longer? She doesn¡¯t do well with strangers in the house, and I currently have seven with warrants,¡± he tells me. F**k! Could anything else go wrong today? I pinch the bridge of my nose in frustration. ¡°That¡¯s fine. I will figure it out.¡± ¡°Why? What happened?¡± he asked. ¡°Nothing; I have the kids, is all,¡± ¡°She won¡¯t hurt them,¡± yet I could hear thatnarin hicuaian the worry in his voice. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Tatum will drop the girls off, and I will ask Kalen to get Vrian. Valen doesn¡¯t want Vrian around her when it is only Ava and me since I can¡¯t shift,¡± I tell him and Dad sighs. ¡°As soon as they leave, I will send someone toe get her,¡± he replies. ¡°Okay,¡± I tell him, hanging up. The kids look up at me, but I shake my head. Walking out of the school. Taylor spots Tatum and squeals, running ahead of me. ¡°Hey Tay!¡± he says, scooping her up, and she wraps her arms around his neck before showing him her pasta ne around hers. She takes it off before wrapping it around his neck. ¡°Aw, thanks,¡± he says, pecking her cheek. ¡°Are weing back home soon?¡± she asks, and I know she must be confused. Tatum had been part of her life for months now, only to wake up and not see him again. ¡°I¡¯m working on it. And I am hoping to see your mother this afternoon,¡± he says before looking at me. ¡°I only have two car seats in the car. Her old one and my sister¡¯s daughter¡¯s one.¡± ¡°On it!¡± Ava calls out from where she was leaning on the car smoking, I give her a disapproving look and she rolls her eyes, tossing it and pulling Vrian¡¯s car seat from out of Valen¡¯s car I was driving. We spent a few minutes anchoring it before buckling the kids in. ¡°Change of ns. Mum is staying with me for a few more hours, so can you swing by my ce before you drop the girls off? Ava texted Zoe on the way over to tell her you were dropping the kids over. She also assured me that Macey was still locked in the basement.¡± I chuckle, knowing it had been fixed, and Zoe was just keeping her locked in there. 1 ¡°I feel like a d**k,¡± Tatum says. ¡°Yeah, well, she thinks you left because she can¡¯t have kids,¡± I tell him. ¡°Well, if she would let me exin, that wasn¡¯t the reason I left,¡± he says while shaking his head. ¡°Then why did you leave?¡± Ava asks, her toneing off the defensive. He looked back in the windows, ensuring the kids weren¡¯t listening ¡°Macey said she never wanted kids. She made that clear. I thought I could change her mind. And then she told me, and I felt a little angry that she didn¡¯t tell me. But more because I had been bugging her about kids for weeks!¡± He groaned. ¡°I even went and bought baby stuff. I wondered why she got so angry and tossed it out. Then the next day, she told me, and I haven¡¯t heard from her since,¡± he says. ¡°It will work out,¡± I tell him. ¡°Yeah, but I feel like s**t! My sister went through IVF for years before having Sam. Had I known, I wouldn¡¯t have pushed so hard or at all. My sister hated when people mentioned anything baby-rted or asked when she would have kids. I became one of those people. That¡¯s why I left.¡± Tatum growls, shaking his head. 3 ¡°I was angry but more embarrassed than anything. I am happy just having Taylor Even though her toy collection takes up half our house!¡± he chuckles. ¡°Well, Zoe locked her in the basement. So now she has no choice but to hear her out. ¡°Ava says. He nods his head and turns to the driver¡¯s door.1 ¡°And Tatum?¡± I call, and he stops looking at me. ¡°Every person she has dated walked the same day she told them. She held off only twice hoping they would stavance they twice, hoping they would stay once they knew her, but they also walked. The only reason she didn¡¯t tell you is that she was worried about losing you.¡± ¡°I know that. But I wasn¡¯t going anywhere,¡± he answers. ¡°But you! She didn¡¯t know that is why you left. Before you, she tried dating, and all of them walked out halfway through the first date,¡± I tell him, and Tatum frowns. He nods his head before climbing into the car. I go back to mine and climb into the driver¡¯s seat, and Ava climbs in the back with mum. I had Ava text Kalen on the drive home. He would be half an hour. We were just down the end of the street from home when static went over the radio. I flicked the station over to find them all the same when the traffic lights suddenly went out up head. I peered up at the sky, wondering if a storm was brewing, yet the overcast day was the same. The sky hadn¡¯t darkened more. I nced at Ava, whose face was scrunched up as she peered at her phone. She was ying some game on it. ¡°I have no cell service,¡± she says, and I reach over and pass my phone to her, and she unlocks it. ¡°Neither do you,¡± she says just as the tornado sirens re. However, the sirens weren¡¯t used for tornado warnings. No, we never got tornadoes here, and I hadn¡¯t heard that noise since I was a kid. My eyes widen, and I peer at Tatum¡¯s car behind me when Valen¡¯s voice and my father¡¯s booms through the mind link. ¡°All warriors to the borders! Everyone else, get inside and lock your door!¡±I swallowed, and my mother was blissfully unaware as she spoke to herself. She looked at me and smiled. 1 ¡°What¡¯s that noise?¡± she asked. Neither of us answers her, and I nce at Ava. She stared back and looked petrified when Valen mind-linked me. ¡°Get home and lock the doors!¡± ¡°How many? And where?¡± I ask, opening the link to Marcus, Zoe, and Tatum to join. ¡°Get home and lock the door, Everly!¡± Valen snaps. ¡°Valen, how many?!¡±I snarled. He doesn¡¯t answer and I could feel his fear through the bond. ¡°Hundreds,¡± he says. ¡°The girls?¡± Zoe screeches through the link. ¡°I have them and Vrian. I¡¯m behind Everly now,¡± Tatum chimes in as we pull into the hotel car park. The shutters were rolling down on the lower-level windows and securing the doors. I roll my window down, waving Tatum toward the underground car park and he gives me a underground car park, and he gives me a thumbs up. ¡°Zoe, get to the basement! I will get to Casey!¡± Marcus orders her, and she whimpers before being shoved out of the link. ¡°Where are theying in?¡± Tatum asks ¡°Everywhere!¡± Marcus and Valen said before the mind-link turned to chaos and I nearly ran into a pir before I forced everyone out. We pull up and start ripping the kids from the cars, and my mother shoves them toward the elevators, finallying back to her senses. ¡°Is that?¡± she asks, looking at Ava, who nods to her. Vrian hits the elevator button, but the doors don¡¯t open. The emergency generators didn¡¯t operate them, leaving the stairs. ¡°F**k!¡± The roller shutters start dropping as we rush the kids to the fire exit. The bells sound as I rip the door open, and we usher the kids inside when snarling growls echo through the underground car park. Tatum pivots just as a heap rush inside the parking garage. He rips his shirt off and growls and they pause observing their threat before he looks at me over his shoulder. ¡°Get inside, Luna!¡± my heart raced as I stared at the forsaken stalking into the ce. Tatum!¡± I called out. Tatum¡¯s eyes were on the forsaken, and he was too focused on them circling him. ¡°Inside, Luna! Now!¡± he roared before shifting as they ran at him. My eyes widened, and I rushed through the door, mming it shut and locking it. Turning around, I see the kid¡¯s frightened face peering back at me. ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. ¡°Tatum?¡± Taylor says, her eyes on the door where vicious growls and banging came from ¡°He¡¯s okay. He will be okay,¡± I tell Taylor while turning her and pushing her up the stairs. Ava stares at me. I nod to her, and her eyes turn ssy, but she nods once, pushing mum up the stairs. We were locked in the stairwell, all the doors locked as we climbed the levels. ¡°Valen, we can¡¯t get inside!¡± I called through the link. I got no answer, meaning he was blocking me out of whatever was happening outside. We were halfway up the stairwell when we heard the banging on the door below. ¡°Tatum!¡± Taylor squeals, rushing back down, and I just grabbed her before she got past me when I heard the door burst open below. Ava looks over the side, and the blood drains from her face, and I nce over to see Forsaken rushing up the steps. ¡°Run!¡± I screamed. Ava grabs Vrian and Mum. She was struggling to climb the stairs. She was exhausted, as she always was after being given the vine. ¡°Get to the roof!¡± I screamed while grabbing Casey and Taylor. Mum rips her hand from Ava. ¡°I¡¯m slowing you down. Get the kids up!¡± she growls at Ava, who looks at me. I ce Taylor on the ground, and Ava¡¯s hand locks around her wrist. I grab Vrian and Ava grabs Casey too. ¡°Vrian, like we practiced at training, ¡°I tell him. ¡°Don¡¯t look back. Don¡¯t stop,¡± ¡°Mum.¡± Vrian stammers with tear filled eyes, and his lip quivers. ¡°Don¡¯t look back. Don¡¯t stop,¡± I repeat, and he nods. Seeing the fear on his face made me want to hug him, but he listened and took off running up the steps while Ava ripped the girls up them. ¡°Three more flights, mum,¡± I tell her. She kent trying to pull my hand from She kept trying to pull my hand from hers, but I snarled at her beforemanding her. ¡°Move faster! Now!¡± I ordered. I heard them get onto the roof while vicious snarls came from below, but themand worked as she was forced to move quicker. Only they were gaining ground fast, and we were one set of steps from the roof when I heard a snarl behind me. Mum freezes, and so do I. Turning slowly, I find two forsaken on the steps prowling and stalking up the steps toward us when my mother¡¯s hand grips the back of my shirt. ¡°You¡¯re gonna run for me now, baby girl, ¡°she murmurs as we both walk backward up the stairs as they stalked us. Their fur was falling out and what was left was matted, blood dripping from their muzzles as they snapped their teeth and snarled while creeping closer up the steps. Chapter 115 Chapter 115 My hands hit the door, jarring them with the force as I burst onto the roof. Ava screamed and ripped the kids behind her body, using herself as a shield, and I twisted, mming it shut. The racketing from the stairwell was deafening as I stared at the door where I had just abandoned my mother pulling my gaze from the door. Ava rushed over, jamming a piece of a broken pipe she ripped off from somewhere through the handle and line that ran to the vents on the roof above the door. Yet all I could think was, I left her in there. I ran and left her behind. Ava whimpers as she secures the bar; I didn¡¯t have to tell her. She knew because mum didn¡¯te out behind me. Yet as she turned to look at me, I could see her heartbreak. My entire body shook with adrenaline and shock. I left her. I thought when a tiny hand slipped into mine. Looking down, I find Vrian looking at me. ¡°Grandma will be okay,¡± he says, only I knew she wouldn¡¯t be. I swallowed and blinked back tears before turning to him and picking him up. ¡°Yep. She found another open door,¡± I tell him while walking over to the girls. I ced him beside the girls, where they were huddled on the ground by the air conditioner vent. Ava moves to the ledge of the building, and I follow her, checking over my shoulder to make sure the kids don¡¯t follow. She looks over, and so do I, and the City was in utter chaos and ruins. Buildings in the distance were on fire, screams rang out loudly, and a frenzied battle could be seen from here on the main street. Warriors were trying to hold the forsaken back from the borders. Valen was right. There were hundreds of them. They just kepting. The street directly below us was a scene from a horror movie as our men tried to keep them back. Two forsaken were dragging another wolf off, and I didn¡¯t want to think what they were doing to him as they yelped loudly. ¡°Her tether?¡± Ava asked me, and I swallowed. ¡°Not broken yet. She is fighting,¡± I whispered, staring out nkly. I noticed from up here that not one of those forsaken were trying to get into Nixon¡¯s pack directly across from us. They were targeting ours the sher pack. ¡°How was the city outnumbered?¡± Ava gasps when an explosion goes off down by the cafe on the main street. There was no other way to describe it, and the Pack warriors were outnumbered. shers Packs men were trying to stop them from getting in, but a few slipped through, and just like our men, they couldn¡¯t hold them back, they just kepting It should be impossible that so many could go unnoticed, but when one of the sky-rise apartments across from us caught on fire, more screams rang out from the apartment building as Forsaken got inside, and I just hoped the roller shutters and the locked stairway door held. The mind-link opens up, and I hear Zoe. ¡± Is Casey alright?¡± ¡°We are on the roof,¡± I answered while peering over my shoulder to look at the children, and she sighed before she sobbed through the link. ¡°And Marcus? Is he there yet? I am being blocked out. I can¡¯t get a hold of anyone,¡± she asked, but I couldn¡¯t lie to her either. ¡°Not yet, but ¡­. Zoe, the city,¡± I don¡¯t finish. The ce looked like a battlefield. ¡°As long as Casey is safe,¡± she says. ¡°Are you safe?¡± I ask her. ¡°I¡¯m in the basement with some of the younger workers. But Macey, she¡­.¡± ¡°Macey, what? Zoe?¡± I asked, panicked. ¡°She heard the sirens when I opened the doors and bolted out. We tried to stop her, ¡°Zoe says. ¡°She has no phone.We have no service in here, and ¡­.¡± ¡°She has no pack link,¡± I finish for her. My heart was beating faster at her words. ¡°We think she went to warn the rogues at the reserves and homeless shelter. This side hasn¡¯t been hit yet,¡± Zoe tells me. Yes, because they were all over here trying to ess our pack and shers, while Nixon¡¯s remained untouched. That wasn¡¯t a coincidence. The mind-link is stretched when I feel Valen force it open, and Zoe is shoved out. Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. ¡°We are trying to get to you. You just need to hold tight a little longer,¡± he said, though pain radiated through the bond, and I knew he was hurt. ¡°What about Marcus? Zoe is trying to get a hold of him.¡± ¡°No idea. Everyone is blocking the pack link so we don¡¯t be distracted. We¡­ the mind-link cuts off abruptly only for Zoe to reopen it, having felt the connection from Valen override hers. ¡°Marcus?¡± ¡°They lost sight of each other. Marcus is fine, Zoe. Valen would have felt the tether break,¡± I tell her, though I had no idea if that would remain true. I felt helpless as I watched our pack getting ughtered on the streets below while I was holed up on a roof, unable to help them. Tatum POV Teeth, ws, blood, and fur. Everything was a blur as I tried to hold them back. I was screaming through the link for Valen to get here when a few slipped past me. Men called through the link that they were on the way. Yet as one fell, another reced it. They seemed to just keeping, and I was taking a beating. The venom in my system was starting to make my muscles ache and lock. The only thing keeping me on my feet was adrenaline and knowing that Taylor, Vrian, and Casey were in that stairwell. I just hoped they got inside the building and weren¡¯t sitting ducks. My back leg is ripped into simultaneously as two attacked snarling. I pivot and twist, nearly ripping my leg off in the process. Yelps and snarling ripped from the stairwell, causing me to be distracted as I tried to double back only to be jumped on. His ws ripped through my fur, making my back arch, and his teeth were like a serrated knife as they tore into the back of my neck. The stairwell, the stairwell, I kept thinking, while trying to toss him off as more flooded into the stairs, escaping past me while I was being ripped to shreds. My teeth sank into its front paw, and I felt the crunch as its bones broke under the pressure of my jaw, forcing him to release me long enough to fling him off. I turned, running for the stairwell, my vision blurring as I ran when forsaken were suddenly running back out of the stairwell. My heart jolted seeing the rabid creatures running when one dropped as a huge, molten-colored wolf tore into its neck. And it took me a second to realize it was ire. Yet she didn¡¯t look like a pack wolf but one of the forsaken. Her blood-red eyes were savage, and venom was oozing and dripping from her teeth. Panic coursed through me, knowing if she turned on me, I would have to kill Everly¡¯s mother when her head twisted in my direction. Her lips pull back as she drops her head, snarling and stalking towards me before she runs at me. I snarled back when she lunged, only she missed, and I jumped aside, skidding on the slickened, blood-soaked floor, only to see her rip into a forsaken that must have beening up behind me. Four more rush through the barrier and I jump over her, jumping into the fray. She was a full-blown forsaken. However, she was fighting our side, not theirs, which gave her an advantage, as they kept recognizing her as their own. With the savage gleam and the way she fought, you could tell John trained her himself. She was just as lethal, but with a vicious edge, she tore into them, locking her jaw each time and tearing them to shreds, not even flinching as they tore into her back. Relentlessly, she fought, saving my ass twice and I hers as we fought tail to tail, trying to hold them back. My back leg was useless, and I was running on three, the other hanging behind me. ¡°We¡¯re in the street,¡± Valen called, and I couldn¡¯t reply. I was too focused on the wolves in front of me. We needed to try to push them back to the street. ire was taking on three, but even she was on the losing end this time as I ripped one off her that was ripping into her nk, her jaws locked around another one¡¯s neck. My paw swipes at the other, and we push them back and keep pushing them back up the ramp. Daylight broke as we kept forcing them further back when she let out a whimper as we made it out the front of the hotel. Pivoting, I ran towards her when a deafening howl ripped through the air as she swayed on her feet. Her throat is torn out, and her front legs buckle when a giant ck and grey wolf starts ripping them off her, and another Forsaken tackles me. I break the wolf¡¯s neck and turn my head to find it was John. The three dead, forsaken lying around him, and John now stood naked petting her wolf. Her chest rises and she wheezes as blood pools around her when her chest appears to dete. And the agonized howl that turned to a wail shook me to the core when I heard Everly¡¯s wailing scream ring out above as she felt her mother¡¯s link disintegrate. 8 Everyone stops at the noise, even the forsaken who are flooding into the street. Valen¡¯s wolf was huge and the one beside him equally big, and I recognized the wolf as the sher packs Alpha. When Marcus¡¯s Grey wolf rushed past me toward the forsaken, his coat tainted red, and the chaos started again. John¡¯s angered roar made my fur stand on end, and he shifted. He erupted and barreled towards the forsaken with blind fury, ripping them apart as the bloodshed started again. Yet as an observer, I realized something. They were heading here, and they were running for the Alpha¡¯s homes, making this targeted and well thought out. From what I heard, the rogue¡¯s side and Everly¡¯s hotel side of the City remained untouched by the informationing through the link. The carnage only happening on one side. Nixon had to be behind it. And he was casting the rogues as the ones starting it. Chaos ensued as we battled, our men falling and the forsaken kepting. Valen and the sher pack Alpha, even John and Kalen, were lethal beasts. The four Alphas working together as they got right in the middle of the battle, huge towering beasts compared to the Forsaken. Not a speck of fur was left untainted, their coats dripping in blood, both theirs and the Forsaken. This is what made them Alpha¡¯s, pure lethal muscle and precision like no other. Despite their massive sizes, they were fast and ran through them like a bowling ball knocking down pins. The street¡¯s gutters ran like rivers with blood, and it stained everything. They didn¡¯t stop, but neither did the Forsaken. These numbers should not exist! How could they outnumber us? Three packs were fighting, and we were still somehow outnumbered, or so we thought until the snarls shook windows. The deafening force of pure rage reverberated around the street, everyone stopping to stare down the end of the road looking for the source of the rumbling noise when Macey appeared. My heart stopped as she ran from down the street straight at us with a huge bat in her hands. Fear coursed through me, and I ran towards her as the forsaken took off in her direction. Only to start skidding across the ground as they tried to stop and double back when the Rogues tore up the street towards us. I stopped as she led her army of Rogues to the battle, and they were a sight to be seen. Our men were given rest as they jumped into battle without hesitation. Saving those who shunned them, cast them out, and fought as one. Pack members and Rogues were fighting alongside each other and painting the street red with the blood of the Forsaken and proving their innocence and their own desperate need to fight for our City. Teeth sank into my neck, and I was flung across the road. My head smashed into the gutter, and I could hear screaming in the distance before I felt air blow the fur across my face as her bat connected with the wolf¡¯s skull with a thud. My eyes blurred as I opened them to see her bashing its skull into the earth with brute force. Her clothes were stained with blood, her arm bleeding from where she had been bitten. But even covered in blood, she was beautiful as she fought. And I caught sight of Zoe¡¯s small white wolf protecting Marcus, who was trying to protect her when Macey screamed. My heart thumped and felt like it left my body as I tried to get to my feet, staggering as the venom took hold. Only it wasn¡¯t a scream of pain but a war cry as she flung her bat at the wolf, ripping into Alpha John. She grunts when she is tackled from behind, only for Kalen to rip the wolf off her. I was delirious as I tried to find my footing and get to her, and I felt my surroundings flip and turn on their axis before I sumbed to the nothingness. Chapter 116 Chapter 116 Everly POV There are no winners in a war. Either way, somebody loses, and even the winners lose. They lose friends, family, humanity, and themselves. We won the battle, but no one wins the war because no one walks away unscaffed after witnessing such carnage, such loss, and it always ends in grief. Grief shows you how valuable life is but also how cruel life is. It shows you the darkness of losing someone. Then it shows you the light in appreciating others more. You realize how precious life is but also how short life can be. You learn how torturous it can be when you lose someone you couldn¡¯t imagine living without, but somehow you do. Somehow, you¡¯re still breathing even when the pain of grief is so intense you believe it will kill you and sometimes wish it would, just so you don¡¯t have to know the pain of losing them. Standing in this hall with hundreds of peering faces staring back at us, you could see their grief as if they wore it like armor, as if it was branded into their very being like a tattoo, screaming their anguish. You could hear their gut wrenching screams as they realized the pain they were feeling wasn¡¯t hurt loved ones but broken bonds, and broken families, broken. Nothing will kill your soul more than losing a loved one. Nothing will break you down more than realizing you will never hold them again, never hear their voices, never see them.Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. 1 We stood on a podium while Valen called out the names of loved ones, needing them toe forward to im their dead sons, dead mates, and dead parents, and while trying to mask my own grief, I witnessed theirs, felt theirs with each broken tether. How Valen called out the names, it was almost as if he was desensitized to death, expressionless. Yet, through the bond, I knew he was barely holding it together as their screams and pain rippled through him like a stone tossed in theke, that rippling tide on repeat, and I don¡¯t know how he bared it as he tried to keep the bond blocked, though those that sifted through I felt, felt him, felt them. We won the battle, but we lost too. One hundred seventy-six lives were lost, Ny-one bonds are broken, meaning a possible Ny-one more lives to wither away until either they die slowly or their bond does. Most of those deaths were men, she-wolves rarely lived without their mates. Yet seeing my father sitting vacantly ahead, I knew he wished it killed him. Valen called the names, and we heard their cries. It felt surreal, like a nightmare, a loop of horror that we were desperately trying to wake up from. When he finished, we made our way out and met up with the council investigators; they were raiding my father¡¯s house when the attack started and they quick to jump in to help. Then while we cleaned up, they raided Nixon¡¯s pack. A vast majority of the forsaken turned out to be his own people, unbonded males that apparently volunteered in the name of science, put up their hands for their own suicide, half his pack gone, and for what? The other half was shocked, and Nixon used the attack as an escape from the city. They were left abandoned. As each forsaken shifted back after their death, we were left with their true identities. He killed his own people. The rest were the missing rogues. They were promised rnoney, a cure, and a pack for their sacrifice. A sacrifice that ended in their deaths. Some thought it was worth the risk. We were shocked to C: ¡ª Jul- 1:1 ¡ª-hta . onload I had find that his daughter was dead. He had apparently switched off her life support before fleeing the city, leaving behind his son in a padded room, which we learned held the cure in his veins. 2 His blood was the key needed to save them. The investigators told us that Carter was shocked by his father¡¯s ns, that he had nothing to do with it or knew anything of it. That he, too, was a victim of his own father¡¯s cruelty. A pack that was now left to him, Nixon had moved all his money and took every cent the pack had before running away like a coward leaving behind his mate, his son, and killing Carter¡¯s sister. I thought I knew evil, but ¡®Nixon proved he was more than evil. There wasn¡¯t an urate word to describe what he had done to this city, to his own people and his family. Carter had handed his blood samples to the sher pack and Valen¡¯s pack for tontina Castor tunaamino Nivan had testing. Carter was a miracle. Nixon had aplished something. He aplished finding a cure for the incurable. He was nning on infecting the world and then selling the cure to them. Zoe was standing by the car with the kids and Kalen I touch Valen¡¯s arm, and he looks over at me. I nod toward Zoe, and he gives a swift nod before I make my way over to them. Vrian and the girls were sitting in the back of the car with the heating going as the night turned terribly cold, cold-like emptiness we all felt.I look at them, checking on them before leaning against the hood next to Zoe, when my father wanders out looking rather lost. I was about to go to him when Kalen gripped my arm. ¡°I¡¯ll go check on him,¡± Kalen says, and I nod, grateful. ¡°Macey is still with Tatum. He has gone in for surgery to try to save his leg,¡± Zoe whispers to me. ¡°And Macey, she was bitten, wasn¡¯t she?¡±. Zoe shakes her head. ¡°She isn¡¯t infected. She called me before her blood tests came back clear, however, Tatum is riddled with venom, and they aren¡¯t sure if he will make it,¡± ¡°Marcus?¡± she nods toward him, where he is walking over to Valen, who is still talking to the council investigators. ¡°He is fine, Beta blood. He is stronger than most, but so many are infected. Hopefully, Carter¡¯s blood really is the cure that¡¯s needed,¡± Zoe says, and I swallowed. ¡°Have you seen Ava?¡± I asked her. ¡°I gave her your spare house keys,¡± I nod. Ava had said she wanted to stay with us the night. Dad too, was staying at our ce, not wanting to go home without mum. We waited. Neither of us knew what to do, so I left it to Valen and the sher Pack Alpha. They seemed to be in their element dealing with all the aftermath, and I didn¡¯t know the first thing about dealing with the werewolf council or what we do from here. When they are finished talking, and everyone eventually leaves, Valenes over with Marcus. He rubs his hands up my arms. His touch was warm, making me realize how cold my skin was. ¡°You should be in the car. It is too cold out here,¡± he murmurs. ¡°Where did our fathers go?¡± "Your father is staying with mine.Yours was apparently pretty drunk by the time dad finished talking to him,¡± ¡°I could go for a bloody drink myself,¡± Marcus says, sounding exhausted as he nudged Valen. Zoe shoots him a look, knowing I don¡¯t like Valen drinking, and he had been drinking recently over the last few weeks, and I didn¡¯t want him to fall back into old habits. ¡°Come on, I should get you home,¡± Valen says, pulling me closer to use himself as a shield to protect me from the wind. He moves to the back of Zoe¡¯s little car, where Vrian had fallen asleep with the girls. ¡°Am I taking Taylor, or are you?¡± I asked Zoe. ¡°Marcus and I will take her,¡± Zoe answers, and I nod, grabbing Vrian¡¯s nket after Valen grabs him. I kissed both the girls who were sleeping soundly before following Valen to our car. He puts Vrian in the back, and I ce his nket over him while clipping him in. We drove home in devastating silence. I was d it was dark because I knew the roads were still painted in blood, a storm was brewing above, and I was hoping most of it was washed away by morning, Yet, we still had plenty of clean-up to do, plenty of people still missing because it was dark before we found the vast majority of bodies, Valen parked out in front of the hotel instead of underground. I stared at the front by the hedges where my mother¡¯s body was before Valen gripped my hand, pulling my gaze away. Those were the most harrowing hours of my life, sitting on the rooftop watching, trying to keep the kids distracted from witnessing the horror scene below us. Trying not to scare them, and when it was all said and done, Valen¡¯s desperation to check on us sent him to the roof. Not ideal, considering there wasn¡¯t a speck of skin that wasn¡¯t covered in blood. Luckily the kids were half asleep, so hopefully, they don¡¯t remember seeing him, though I knew Vrian did. He didn¡¯t stop trembling until after Valen stepped out of the shower clean, and he realized it wasn¡¯t his father¡¯s blood, though he had remained silent ever since. It was impossible to convince the kids to keep their eyes closed while we left the roof, but Marcus brought nkets up to check over their heads while we carried them to the first essible floor so they wouldn¡¯t see the forsaken my mother killed in the stairwell. Getting home, I unlocked the door, and Valen immediately went to put Vrian in bed, though the sound of crying I could hear up the hall made me move to the guest bedroom I nudge the door open to find Ava in bed, huddled under the nkets; her body shook as she sobbed. Quietly, I move toward the bed before climbing in behind her and wrapping my arms around her, hugging her as close as my belly would allow. I held her, and she cried, the sound breaking me into a million fractured pieces with sharp edges that pierced my sou ¡°She¡¯s gone,¡± Ava whispered. I nodded my head against her back and sniffled. ¡°I know,¡± I whispered, not knowing what else to say. I couldn¡¯t take her pain; it was mine, too, though I wished I could stop her from feeling it. She cried herself to sleep, and I held her until then. Slipping out of bed, I moved toward my room. Pushing the door open, I find Vrian in our bed, Valen wrapped around him. I slip my pajamas on, and Valen lifts his head. ¡°He came in about 20 minutes ago,¡± he whispers. I nodded my head before quickly slipping into bed on Valerian¡¯s other side. Valen drapes his arm across both of us, his hand rubbing the side of my belly. III was worried vou would try fighting Chapter 117 Chapter 117 We had an entire week of funerals and memorials. Everything felt wrong, though, the city was quiet as we tried to settle back into life. Tatum was in an induceda. They saved his leg, but infection spread everywhere, and Macey had been sick with worry, barely leaving his bedside. Zoe and I had been alternating with taking Taylor. Ava busied herself with work, and so did I. Anything to take my mind off how quickly everything spiraled out of control. Coming home from work, I had been holed up in my office, which was finally finished, going over documents from both packs. The ounting from the hotel and scraping money left-right, the center to paying bills. Then I spent all afternoon helping Ava move her stuff back home from the apartment out the back of the hotel, which Macey would now take over. Walking inside, Valen looked over the back of the couch, and the beer in his hand didn¡¯t escape my eyes as he quickly ced it down to turn to look at me. ¡°I put your dinner in the microwave, and Vrian asked for you at bedtime,¡± Valen says and I nod while dumping my handbag on the hallstand. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you answer your phone? I have been calling all afternoon. And you shoved me out of the mind link,¡± he said, his tone clipped at the end. ¡°I was with my father and Ava. I helped her move back in with dad,¡± I answered while moving to the kitchen; I heated up my dinner. I was exhausted, and even eating seemed like a major task. Valen strolls into the kitchen, and I eye the bottle in his hand. He quickly tips it up and drains it, tossing it in the recycling. He catches me watching him when he turns around and arches an eyebrow. ¡°What?¡± he demands. ¡°You know how I feel about you drinking. And I definitely don¡¯t want you drinking around Vrian,¡± I tell him, and he scoffs. ¡°Right. Because I¡¯m an alcoholic?¡± he clicks his tongue and shakes his head, and I lean back on the counter and fold my arms across my chest. . ¡°Don¡¯t put words in my mouth Valen; I never said that. I just said I don¡¯t like you drinking.But hey, if you say you are, you must be,¡± I sighed. I so did not want to argue tonight. He growls but moves closer, his going to my bump as he caresses it. ¡°I only had one. And Vrian is asleep. And I am not an alcoholic.Geez, Everly, I don¡¯t obliterate myself,¡± he says before leaning closer. He dips his face closer, his lips brushing mine softly before biting my bottom lip yfully. I roll my eyes, pushing on his shoulders, and he chuckles, stepping back and opening the microwave when it dings. He grabs the te out, sitting on the kitchen bench. ¡°Did you sort out the finances for the hotel and find out how much is owing to the contractors?¡± he asked, and I nodded. ¡°And you paid it?¡± he asked, and I growled before walking over to my handbag and grabbing his card out. I hand it to him, but he pushes my hand away. ¡°Keep it,¡± he says, and I shake my head but ce it back while he fetches me a fork. ¡°The real estate agent rang today, She said Alpha Daxon from sher pack wants to repurchase the land from behind his pack,¡± I tell him, and he nods. ¡°Yes, he wants to build some training grounds. He mentioned even wanting to train with our pack for a bit.¡± ¡°Sounds like a n. Also, I got at weird message from Carter today,¡± I admit. Valen points to the table, and I sit down while he brings my te over, setting it in front of me. ¡°How did he get your number?¡± Valen asks, and I shrug. It wouldn¡¯t be hard, probably from his father¡¯s files. ¡°What did he want?¡± ¡°Asked if we had settled the debt.Carter said he found the paperwork and banks statements" ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°I told him the truth, then offered him the titles for the back of his pack.But he said no,¡± I shrug. ¡°Yeah, his father wiped every cent from the pack¡¯s ounts, I say the pack will be dismantled if he doesn¡¯t do something soon.¡± ¡°So, what should I do?¡± I asked. ¡°I will talk to him tomorrow and handle it. And from what the investigators said, we owe Nixon nothing.As soon as he is found, he will be brought before the council and probably executed, anyway. Carter wasn¡¯t a part of that agreement, so has no warrant to im it, and he was the one who also one who infected your mother so he can¡¯t im money for the vine.¡± ¡°Have they seen any sign of Nixon?¡± I asked, moaning as I spear a piece of ravioli into my mouth, the sauce was heavenly. Valen chuckles, leaning down and licking the sauce off my lips. ¡°I have something you can moan around that tastes better,¡± he offers. ¡°Somehow, I think this tastes better,¡± I teased, spearing another piece and popping it in my mouth. He laughs, pecking my lips before walking off into the bathroom. I hear the water turn on a few secondster while I turn back to my food. Weeks Later 20 Week Ultrasound Valen sat nervously beside me, his foot tapping as Doc squirted the lubricant over my huge belly, the coldness of it making me want to pee. I nce at the clock above the door. Macey said she wanted toe. Maybe she got caught up at the hospital. Tatum was getting better with the infection gone and had woken up. But he couldn¡¯t shift without the risk of his leg not shifting, due to the nerves and tissue damage left behind from his leg being nearlypletely removed. He had to go through physiotherapy to learn how to use his leg again because he could shift to heal himself, but they weren¡¯t sure if his leg would shift with the rest of him, so until he healedpletely, it wasn¡¯t worth the risk. Doc starts the scan, taking measurements when we hear a knock. Doc leans over on his stool, opening the door, and Macey walks in, tiptoeing as if making noise would somehow disturb the Doctor and her knock didn¡¯t. She bends over and pecks my cheek before deliberately messing Valen¡¯s hair, earning a growl from him as he swatted her hands For messing i away. Sheughs and stares at the screen before squinting. ¡°So, you all ced your bets?¡± Doc asked. He knew from previous scans that Macey and Valen had a bet on the genders, hence why she was here. ¡°Yep! Two boys and a girl,¡± Valen says. ¡°Nope! I say three girls,¡± Macey says. ¡°Well, for your sake, I hope there¡¯s at least one boy. rian saidst time you promised to wrestle in the boy way, and you will break that boy¡¯s heart,¡± Doc laughs. He came to myst scan with Valen. I will give Valen one thing. He has never missed an appointment. He has had to remind me to attend a couple. ¡°Well, mum, what do you think?¡± Doc asks. ¡°Two girls and boy,¡± I tell him, crossing my fingers. Heughs and moves the device across my belly. I close my eyes when he deres Baby A to be a girl. ¡° Next one is a boy,¡± Valen says before deting when Doc says Baby B is a girl. Macey rubs her hands together, then rubs the side of my belly. ¡°Nope! It¡¯s a girl, and you owe me three foot rubs, and you have to refer to me as ¡®oh favorite one¡¯ for a full week!¡± Macey says. Doc chuckles and shakes his head, moving the device over my belly. ¡°Stop with your Karma voodoo!¡± Valen snaps at her, having already lost his bet. ¡°And what do you win?¡± Doc asks since it was down to us. ¡°A jar of coffee,¡± I say, and he turns his head to look at Valen. ¡°She isn¡¯t human, Valen. I told you to stop reading those baby books. She can drink as much coffee as she wants,¡± Doc says, and I purse my lips. ¡°We don¡¯t know that for sure,¡± Valen argues. ¡°Do you have a doctor¡¯s degree?¡± Macey asks. ¡°Just because you want to risk our kidsing out with three heads,¡± he sneers at her. ¡°I would hope so! Two heads only would be an issue since there are three of them,¡± Macey taunts. ¡°You know what I mean,¡± Valen growls at her, and Docughs at their banter. He moved the device over my belly, and it took a while because bub was ying hide behind the others, but he was finally able to get a good enough view before he dered. ¡°Baby C is¡­..¡± Valen and Macey lean forward eagerly. ¡°A girl!¡± Doc says, and Macey squeals and jumps in victory while Valen detes. ¡°Looks like you wrestled in a girl way, Alpha,¡± Docughs. ¡°Apparently so,¡± Valen mutters. ¡°Oh! That is so much pink!¡± he groans while Macey shook her ass in his face still doing her victory dance. ¡°Maybe we can dress one in blue and hope Vrian doesn¡¯t notice?¡± Valen says thoughtfully. ¡°He will notice,¡± I deadpan, and Valen sighs. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do with girls,¡± he pouts before ring down at his crotch as if it wronged him. ¡°You had one job! And you gave me three girls! You couldn¡¯t have at least shot one boy out?¡± he growled at his dick. ¡°I think he is just trying to hide his excitement for the three foot rubs he owes me,¡± Macey says, and Valen pulls a face. ¡°I am not touching those neanderthal feet,¡± he snaps. ¡°A deal is a deal, oh, and I will let my toenails grow just for you before I im my first one,? Macey states. Valen pales and looks like he will puke. ¡°Tell you what? I will scrap one foot rub off if you give Everly her jar of coffee,¡± ¡°Wipe all three, and I will,¡± Valen growls. Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. ¡°She can drink coffee, and no, I will get rid of one,¡± Macey says, holding up one finger. He growls and scrunches his face up. ¡°Fine, and you better scrub those damn feet raw, and I am wearing gloves,¡± he snarls when Doc leans down and whispers to me. Y ¡°Do they always fight like this?¡± he asks. ¡°No, this is their lovenguage, and Macey will win, just watch,NI tell him. Heughs, turning back to finish the scan. Chapter 118 Chapter 118 Valen POV Everly had been put on bed rest. She had made it to 30 weeks pregnant, and Doc said at the moment, there was a chance she wouldn¡¯t carry the pregnancy to term. He also told us at herst appointment that she would need to have a c-section. But with everything going on, we hadn¡¯t.. even started setting up the nursery. Everly wanted toe, but she could barely walk a few meters without having to pee, and her feet were swollen. However, she didn¡¯t trust my vani taste, as she called it, so Vrian and I stopped by the hotel on the way to the baby store to pick up Macey and Zoe, who wereing to help pick out the baby stuff. She insisted he go to spend some time with me after we learned he had received detention, twice for hitting two boys at school and had been ying up. We spoke to him about it, and he said the boy deserved it. He refused to tell us what it was about, despite us trying to talk to him about it. Though I was d they wereing because I knew Vrian would have a meltdown when he learned the genders. We didn¡¯t have the heart to tell him when we got home after the ultrasound. When we picked him up from school that day, he held balloons he painted blue. So today would be his revtion that he was getting three sisters instead of brothers. I nervously chewed my nail as I waited for Zoe and Macey toe out. Zoe was first out of the hotel, skipping excitedly over when I see Maceye out the side doors of the restaurant, and Zoe spots her. For a second, they stand there staring at each other. My brows furrow at why when they both start racing toward the car, shoving and pushing each other. ¡°Shotgun!¡± Macey screams. ¡°I called it first!¡± Zoe snarls, shoving her only to be ripped back as she reaches for the door handle. Macey sticks her tongue out at her when Zoe falls on her butt. She hops in the car, and I raise an eyebrow at her, and Zoe huffs and climbs in the back with Vrian. ¡°You two are idiots. I can¡¯t believe you just fought over the front seat like damn children,¡± I tell them, shaking my head while they ce their seatbelts on. ¡°I shotgun the front on the way home!¡± ¡°If you can get to it first, small fry,¡± Macey taunts. ¡°Enough. Zoe gets the front on the way back. Stop your bickering, or both of you will sit in the back,¡± I tell them. Geez, they were like Everly annoying little sisters. Gosh, I need to keep my daughters away from these two crazies, I thought to myself. ¡°Well, looks like I will be iming that foot rub today,¡± Macey says. ¡°Macey gets the front seat on the way back,¡± I quickly dere. No way was I rubbing her feet. ¡°Ew! Dad won¡¯t rub your feet,¡± Vrian says. Macey snickers. ¡°Your father has too. He lost a bet,¡± Macey tells him. ¡°What sort of bet?¡± Valerian asks, FM[}8%k{ Zoe answers. ¡°Oh, you will see soon,¡± Zoe says, messing his hair. ¡°Are you excited about going baby shopping?¡± she asks him. ¡°Yep! I want to find the babies¡¯ dinosaur plushies!¡± ¡°And other plushies remember. And we are mainly going to find cots,¡± I tell him. ¡°What girl..¡± Macey starts to say. ¡°Shh!¡± I hiss at her, not wanting Vrian to have a meltdown in the car. ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. ¡°Huh?¡± Vrian asks. ¡°Nothing. I was saying dinosaurs¡¯ plushies sound great. Taylor used to love dinosaurs,¡± ¡°She still does, but only T-Rex¡¯s. She likes their little arms,¡± Vrian says. When we reached the store, I couldn¡¯t believe how petrified I was of entering, knowing my son would find out the genders today. Alphas fear nothing, yet here I was scared to tell my own child I wrestled in a girl way because my pecker decided it was throwing girls¡¯ this time around. Vrian wanders around the store finding stuff with Zoe and looking at cot nkets, while I found the cots Everly showed me on the store¡¯s website. They were white, and I checked to see if they had them in stock and they did, and for half price too. Once I had them set aside, I wandered around the aisles looking at baby clothes and nkets and picked up some pink stuff when Zoe and Vrian came over with some dinosaur plushies. ¡°Can I pick a mobile?¡± Vrian asks before his eyes go to the pink onesie in my hands. Macey wandered around the store with a trolley that had a blue nket over it. ¡°One is a girl?¡± Vrian asked, and I chewed my lip, about to put it back, when Zoe leaned down beside him. ¡°Girls aren¡¯t so bad. You like Taylor and Casey,¡± Zoe tells him, and Vrian nods, looking at me. ¡°I found the bottle sterilizer she was looking at, and the breast pump. Oh, and I found the breastfeeding pillow,¡± Macey says, showing us. ¡°I got blue plushies,¡± Valerian says happily. ¡°Aw, that¡¯s great. They will love them,¡± ¡°Yeah, but now I need to find a pink one,¡± Vrian says. ¡°Why? Girls like blue,¡± Macey says, batting hershes at him. She points to her eyes. ¡°See blue eye shadow,¡± she says. ¡°Hmm, I guess you¡¯re right,¡± Vrian says. We buy a few more things, and the rest we would order. He seemed to be taking the news of one girl alright, but I knew we had to tell him there wouldn¡¯t be a brother. He picked out some colorful mobiles for their cribs, and the girls wanted to see Everly, so we headed home afterward. The store was delivering the cribs tomorrow and the rest of the furniture. However, getting home, Vrian was questioning names. We had picked no names yet, though I had a couple in mind, and so did Everly. Yet deciding names, I found hard because the kid had to live with whatever we chose. The stress it was causing me was shocking We showed Everly the few things we had with us, and Macey and Everly started pulling out the sterilizer and bottles, wanting to try them out. Vrian watched with eager eyes, drinking it all in. He talked of wanting to help with bottles, and Everly exined she was going to try breastfeeding, but he could help when she expressed milk whichunched us into a conversation about how she had milk. And I think the boy will need counseling after that conversation. He seemed to think she was going to grow teats like a COW ¡°So are you going to pick the girl¡¯s name and dad pick the boy¡¯s names?¡± he asks while testing the bottle brush viciously. Everly looks at me. ¡°You didn¡¯t tell him?¡± she mouths. I smile at her awkwardly and hold my hands out apologetically. ¡°Well, you know how your father has to rub Aunty Macey¡¯s feet because she won the bet?¡± Vrian shudders, thenughs. ¡°That is so gross,¡± ¡°Hey! My feet aren¡¯t gross,¡± Macey tells him. I shudder at the thought. ¡°Yep. Dad wouldn¡¯t tell me what the bet was, though,¡± Vrian pouts. ¡°Well, Aunty Macey bet that the babies would be three girls,¡± Everly tells him, and his brows furrow. He looks at me, and I swear I felt the blood drain from my face. ¡°You said you would wrestle in boy way!¡± he growls, stunning me. Astonished by the sound, I stare at Everly, who seems startled by it. ¡°Now they won¡¯t like my plushies!¡± he sobs, cing the bottle down and burying his face in his arms as he leans on the counter. Everly brushes her fingers through his hair and res at me. ¡°Now we have to take them back, all because you wrestled in mum¡¯s butt!¡± Vrian cries, and Macey snorts and chokes at his words while Everly gaped at him and Zoe snickered. ¡°It¡¯s not funny! I told dad to wrestle in a boy way. And he got it wrong,¡± Vrian pouts. He snatches the plushies off the counter, putting them back in the bag. ¡°Vrian, there is no way to wrestle in a boy or girl way,¡± Everly tells him. ¡°Yeah! Casey said she came out her mum¡¯s butt, but I came out your hoo-ha. And dad promised!¡± ¡°Vagina,¡± Everly corrects andughs, and Zoe¡¯s face heats. ¡°Babies don¡¯te out of the butt,¡± ¡°But Casey said,¡± ¡°Casey came out of my vagina Vrian. Not my butt,¡± ¡°And Taylor came out of my belly. They cut me open, but she is still a girl,¡± Macey tells him, and he seems confused. ¡°Girls aren¡¯t so bad,¡± Zoe tells him. ¡°I know, but now I will have to fight all the boys to protect them,¡± he says, ring at the plushies in his hands. ¡°Huh?¡± Everly says. ¡°As I do for Taylor and Casey. The boys pick on them. I had to punch ke in the nose the other day. He tugged on Casey¡¯s hair and made her cry and called Taylor a rogue whore,¡± he says. ¡°So that is why you got detention at school the other day?¡± I asked him. ¡°He called Taylor that?¡± Macey asked, and Vrian nodded his head. ¡°Did you tell the teacher?¡± Zoe asked, yet Macey¡¯s eyes watered, knowing the title bestowed on her was now on her daughter. I despised that name. It sickened me, and to know children of my own pack were referring to other children by it angered me. ¡°No. I punched him on his big nose,¡± ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have hit him, but told me. I will speak with ke¡¯s father. Violence isn¡¯t the answer,¡± I tell him. ¡°I don¡¯t want them to call my sister¡¯s names,¡± he says. ¡°They won¡¯t. Besides, they will be tough like your momma. And they will have you to protect them,¡± Zoe tells him. Vrian nods. ¡°So, do I still have to apologize to ke?¡± Vrian asks. In my eyes, no, but the principal asked for an apology when he returned from his two-day suspension. ¡°You still need to apologize for hitting him, but I will be making sure ke also has to apologize,¡± I tell him looking at Macey. She folds her arms across her chest and nods once, clearly not happy that her daughter is being picked on. ¡°I¡¯ll handle it,¡± I tell her, and she nods. Yet the look on her face was like she wanted to go deliver the boy the spanking his mother never gave him. The girls stayed for coffee and cake that Zoe made me stop for at the bakery on the way home, and I drove them back to the hotel so they could get the girls from the school in an hour. Around three thirty, Everly¡¯s phone rang as she reached for it on the coffee table where Vrian was drawing. ¡°It¡¯s Aunty Macey,¡± Vrian says, passing the phone to her. She quickly answers it when I felt the mind link open up. Marcus¡¯s voice frantically echoed in my head. ¡°Have you seen Ava and Zoe?¡± he asks. ¡°Not since I dropped Zoe back at the hotel. What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°Ava and Zoe went to pick up a few things from the hardware and were supposed to pick Casey and Taylor up. Yet the school rang me, and I am on my way there now to get them.¡± ¡°Where¡¯s Macey?¡± ¡°With Tatum. He had a physio this afternoon. She is meeting me at the school,¡± Marcus says. ¡°Have you tried mind-linking her?¡± ¡°Of course! But the bond is blocked. I can¡¯t feel her, Valen!¡± he says frantically, and I could hear the fear in his voice. ¡°What? Where are you?¡± I asked, confused. Everly stands up and is talking frantically, and she moves to the house phone. ¡°Yeah, I am trying her mobile now,¡± I hear her say as she dials a number into the house phone. ¡°Driving to get Casey, I¡­ I feel off, and I can¡¯t feel her. Why is she blocking me out?¡± ¡°Hang on, Everly is ringing someone,¡± ¡°I¡¯m trying Ava¡¯s phone,¡± she says. I listen to it ring out. ¡°I¡¯ll try my father,¡± I hear her say as she starts dialing more numbers with shaking hands. I numbers with shaking hands. I make my way over to her when Marcus suddenly screams through the mind link before it cuts off. My heart raced at the agony in his voice, and I instantly tried to reopen it, but I got nothing but howling through the link and knew he had shifted. Chapter 119 Chapter 119 Zoe POV ¡°Did you grab the paint thinners?¡± I asked Ava as we lined up at the hardware storeShe rummaged through her basket, holding up the tin, and I nodded. We were revamping some of the outdoor furniture and had stopped on our way to do the school run to grab a few things before picking up the kids. ¡°You think it will get it off? ¡± Ava asked, reading the instructions on the back of the tin. ¡°Yeah, it¡®ll work.Just don¡®t get it on your skin, it burns like a bitch,¡± I tell her while we go through the self serve. I take the tins from her and quickly scan them. We pay for our items before walking back out to my little car.We were loading everything into the trunk when I heard the screech of tires on the road.We both look over our shoulders to see a red van speed past at rming speeds. Both of us watched themotion on the main street before the car left our sight. ¡°Geez! Bloody twit.It¡®s a school time,¡± Ava says, shaking her head. I sighed, quickly closing the trunk before climbing into the driver¡®s side.I had just started the car and Ava was climbing into the passenger seat when my phone rang. It was Marcus checking if I was still right to grab the kids, I told him we were on our way to the school before quickly hanging up, and he promised to meet me at home. We clip our seatbelts in and pull onto the road.We were driving past the reserve toward Valen¡®s pack where the school is when the roar of an engine was hearding up fast behind us. Ava looks behind us and groans. ¡°It¡®s the dickhead from the hardware store,¡± she says, turning back to the front. Must be the day for idiot drivers. Going around the slight bend, I am jolted forward in my seat. My head hits the steering wheel and I vaguely remember hearing Ava scream and the sound of creaking metal when everything went ck. My head pounded when my vision returned, and pain slithered up my spine. The smell of oil and rubber reached my nose as I dazedly blinked to find I was upside down, my eyes blurred throbbed to the same beat as my head, smoke and dust filling the inside of the car from the smashed windows. The scent of blood wafted to my nose and my hands hung above my head as I realized we had crashed.I tried to remember what happened, but I groaned, dazed and pained. Looking over at Ava, she also groaned before tugging at her belt.I tried to warn her and reached for her, but it was toote as she undid her seatbelt and crashed onto the roof of my upturned vehicle.I tried to put my hand on the roof to support my weight when shooting pain washed through my hand.I shrieked, looking at it to find my thumb dislocated when Ava unclips my seat belt and Ind on my busted hand. ¡°Zoe, what happened?¡± Ava murmurs, clutching her head and my surroundings spun as I rolled onto my back. I nce out the window to find we were in the reserve.How long had we been out for? ¡°The truck,¡± I groaned, rolling back only to see feet racing toward us through the broken window. A gasp escapes me and my eyes widen when I see a man reach in through the broken window and grip Ava¡®s hair, just before she turned to see what I was looking at.He started yanking her through the smashed, mangled window. Ava screams and thrashes and I grip her legs, trying to hold her when she is yanked from my grip. Her screams rang out loudly when a man I had never seen before punched her and knocked her out.Her body goes limp and I crawl out the window of my wrecked vehicle and try to stop him, only to forget about the other two set of feet I saw. Arms wrap around my torso as I scream for them to let her go. Her body was floppy over the man¡®s shoulder. Twisting, I try to turn in the man¡®s grip, trying to get loose before I sank my teeth into his bicep. He growls and lets go, allowing me to escape his clutches. The man with Ava walks up the steep incline, and I chased after the man who grabbed her. Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. Before I could reach her, I was tackled, and the air expelled from my lungs with an oompfh. I wheeze, trying to catch my breath when I feel the mind link open up. ¡°What do you want to do with this one?¡± A deep baritone voice calls out above me as I thrash trying to get out from under him, his knee pressed in the center of my back ¡°Bring her.Boss may let us keep her,¡± I heard another voice call out and the man above rolled me over, his hand wrapped around my throat, and he smiled cruelly. His dark hair falling in eyes when I heard Marcus¡®s voice flit through the mind¨Clink. ¡°Babe?¡± Marcus screams through the link. ¡°Marcus!¡± I shrieked. ¡°Oh, we¡®ll have fun with you alright,¡± the man growls, shing his teeth as I try to free myself. I scream when I feel his tongue roll across the side of my face and he groans lewdly. His friend behind him isughing and I try to alert Marcus when a fist connects with the side of my head.I gazed dizzily up at the sky, my eyes losing focus when I am hit again and see nothing but darkness. Motion and bumps woke me.We were in the back of a van, and my hands were tied behind my back. My fingers felt like they were losing cirction when I hit the side wall before hearing a chuckle. A whimper escapes me as Iy on my trapped arms and I look up only to be kicked in the stomach by the man sitting along the side wall. His legs were what I had slid into.I grunt at the impact and am winded instantly when the van stops, causing me to roll onto the other side. The double back doors are swung open.I suck in a harsh breath as pain rattled through alll of me and I could taste my own blood and smell ...smell. Turning my head, I searched for her to find Zoe also tied up and another man with ash blonde hair was pawing at her and squeezing her breasts. Her chest was littered with bite marks, her shirt had been torn off her and she was only left in her bra and ck cks. Zoe was unconscious andpletely limp. Fear coils and slivers through me. No!I gasped. I growl at him and struggle against my restraints. ¡°Don¡®t touch her, you sick fuck!¡± I scream at him when I see the man push his hand down her pants. At the same time feel a pinch in my neck, and the dark¨Chaired man waves a syringe in front of my face. ¡°That¡®ll do bitch.Now quiet or you will get a taste of what she gets,¡± the man who kicked me says. He sweeps his dark hair from his eyes before he gripped my arm, dragging me from the back of the van.I felt funny. My vision tunneled yet I remained conscious, although I felt the wolfsbane burning through my system, stunning my wolf and muting the mind link.I cursed myself, I should have yed dead and alerted my father. Yet I was helpless as I felt the drug take effect and I was tossed onto the cold concrete floor. My head bouncing off it painfully when Zoe falls beside me. ¡°Zoe?¡± I groaned. She was drenched in blood, and I knew I was too, but she had a deep gash across her forehead and blood dribbled out the corner of her mouth. ¡°Zoe!¡± I cried when I saw the man who stabbed me in the neck also stab a needle into hers. She doesn¡®t respond. When I hear the sound of footsteps, my eyes try to nce around.My body was paralyzed, and it wasn¡®t until the footsteps drew close enough that I could see his face. Carter ... A growl vibrates and dies in my chest.He wore a dark blue suit. Carter looked like his father, only more unhinged. His eyes are half red and half green like snake eyes, the aftermath of being a forsaken. His scent was also off, not rogue but also not smelling like a pack wolf either. His hair was a styled messily like he had run his fingers through his gelled hair. Tattoos poked out from under his open buttons on his white dress shirt and on his arms where his sleeves were rolled to the elbows. ¡°Who is that?¡± Carter asks, motioning toward Zoe with his hand. ¡°Some whore she was with.I think Ava called her, Zoe?¡± the dark hair man says while looking over at his buddy, who shrugs. ¡°Ah ...Just a rogue whore,¡± the blonde man says. ¡°She isn¡®t.She is Beta Marcus¡® mate,¡± I tried to rasp out as my tongue thickens, swelling in my mouth. My words are not even audible with the way they slurred.My heart raced in my chest when I saw him bend down and grip her face, turning it to look at her. ¡°She is marked,¡± Carter sneers. I watch as Carter stands up and nudges her onto her back with his foot and he sighs, looking at his men before his eyes roam over her half undressed body. ¡°Do what you want with that one.No one touches John¡®s daughter though, I need her alive for now,¡± Carter says and the two men chuckle darkly. The blonde man licks his lips as he bends down to grab her. My heart sank into my stomach, a pit forming as I watched her get tossed over his shoulder before I am also grabbed. We appeared to be in some sort of warehouse, but as they moved toward a door, we were suddenly descending stairs.I tried to take everything in, looking for an escape and trying to remember my way through the tunnels as they navigated the twists and turns. We seemed to be in the old emergency evacuation tunnels that ran beneath the city. The were all supposed to have been closed up years ago but it was obvious Nixon¡®s pack had been opening them, because after about 10 minutes of walking I was deposited onto the cold floor in a part that opened up wider creating arge space. Zoe is dumped beside me, and she grunts as shees to when hitting the hard ground. She blinks rapidly as she wheezed while trying to catch her breath. Her eyes fell on me and tears burned my eyes, and she opened her mouth, but like me, she couldn¡®t get her tongue to work. Yet it didn¡®t stop her blood¨Ccurdling scream when one of the men started ripping her pants off.I wanted to help her, yet was powerless to do anything but watch as she screamed.I sobbed when Carter wandered into the room, his shoes loud on the concrete as he made his way over. He saunters over to me and crouches beside me. Carter peers over his shoulder, as his men fight over who would get her first.He smirks and taps my face in his hand. ¡°Don¡®t worry Ava.I will make sure you get to watch,¡± he purrs, sweeping my hair away from my eyes. ¡°Should have taken me up on the marriage proposal.Oh well,¡± He clucks his tongue. ¡°Your sister and father made an enemy of the wrong person.But,¡± he pauses when Zoe screams and Carterughs as I watch one of the men run a de between her breasts and cut her bra away. Yet all she could do wasy there and watch what they did to her. A whimper escapes me. ¡°Now, if Valen and your father don¡®t meet my demands, that will be you next,¡± he says before rising. Zoe cried and screamed before she just stared off vacantly, like she suddenly became an empty shell. Her eyes staring at the ceiling and her screams died out when the dark¨Chaired man pushed her legs open and pushed inside her.I screamed and cried, clenching my eyes shut, unable to watch as they raped her. Praying someone would get to us before they killed her. Yet as the hours dragged on, I lost track of time. And on regr intervals I was jabbed, just like Zoe, with a needle.I had no idea how long had passed and I had dozed off when I heard footsteps of the two men and Carter returning, along with another man. Carter nods toward his men who then dragged a screaming Zoe from the room, down the tunnel and around the corner into the next room. Her screams rang out loudly, and I threw up, choking on my vomit as it suffocated me.I prayed they would kill me, I couldn¡®t handle her screams, handle her cries and what I saw.I wanted to tear my eyes from my head to unsee the horrid things they did to her. The horrid things I was forced to watch and the vile things she endured. Only death didn¡®te, because Carter swiftly walked over, turning my head enough that I did not aspirate on my own vomit. ¡°There, that¡®s better.Can you see?Don¡®t want you to miss the show,¡± he taunted, wiping my wet eyes before he grabs my hair, he drags me through my own vomit and to where I had a better view of the new man raping my friend. Anger burned through me and I roared, my anger forcing words out. ¡°I hope he rips you to fucking shreds, you fucking pig!¡± I screamed and Carterughed. He dropped me on the floor, the back of my head smashing the pavement when I saw his foote toward my face and everything went ck. Time was lost to me when I came to, though this time I had feeling in my limbs, yet my mind felt stunted. Warmth bled into my back and her body shook, which made me turn my head to find Zoe huddled beside me, her knees clutched to her chest, yet the dead look in her gaze was off¨Cputting. Sluggishly, I pull myself up to a sitting position and lean against the wall she was leaning against.I press closer to her, trying to warm her naked form. She looked like she had bathed in blood. ¡°Zoe?¡± I murmur, but she just stared vacantly ahead and I turn my head to find Carter on the phone. ¡°Well, I will hand the little one back, send the rogue to get her.But Ava stays until you stand down and hand the city back over Valen, and don¡®t forget my money,¡± he snarls into the phone before hanging it up. ¡°What¡®s going on?¡± one of the men ask ncing over at us. ¡°Grab her, her friend is going to do the exchange at the bridge,¡± ¡°And if she doesn¡®t bring the money with her?¡± ¡°Then we toss her over, but Everly won¡®t risk her sister.You watch Ava,¡± he says to the ash blonde one. ¡°Grab the bitch.She ising with us.¡± ¡°What about Valen?¡± The dark¨Chaired man says. ¡°Not an issue, he knows he follows the woman I kill Ava, he wants her back, he stands down as Alpha and relinquishes his pack to me,¡± Carter says and I gasp. ¡°And John?¡± the man asks. ¡°He wants to swap ces with his daughter.We¡®ll let him sweat it for a bit, maybe send him some pictures.But I think our only chance is to keep her.John would die for his girls and Valen knows that.We aren¡®t doing the swap.Besides I want John to live with knowing he is the reason his family is dead,¡± ¡°Well, obviously.But what next?¡± ¡°Once Valen stands down, the city is ours, then I will get revenge on Alpha John when I kill his daughters and grandson,¡± Carter says, confusing me. ¡°And her?¡± he motions toward me. ¡°We kill her, but first we¡®ll y with her first,¡± he cackles loudly while walking out. The dark¨Chaired man moves toward us and reaches for Zoe, who spits on him. He backhands and Iunch forward only to be kicked in the face by the other man and she is dragged out kicking and screaming by her hair. Chapter 120 Chapter 120 Valen POV We found Marcus when we located the car. He was furious and I couldn¡®t get a coherent thought out of him, whatever he felt through the bond made him want blood. He was more crazed than any forsaken I hade across, it took 12 of my men and myself to take him down. We had to sedate him, which only caused fear to twist in my stomach We found Zoe¡®s car down a ravine by the reserve. It was on its roof but no sign of the girls, yet tire tracks in the mud told us they were run off the road. We had the entire city out looking for them. None of us could locate them via the mindlink. sher pack was also out searching. John was beside himself and Everly was a frantic mess. In a matter of minutes our world¡®s were turned upside down and Everly was convinced Nixon hade back and took them I had men out looking for Carter and he was located quickly. He gave us the all clear to search his pack. Two days they were missing for, it made no sense, until the first ransom call came in. A growl tore out of me when I heard Everly answer the call and Carter¡®s voice was heard on the other end. ¡°Now that I have your attention and you have been unable to locate them, you will meet my demands,¡± Carter states. Everly stared at the phone checking the number and it was definitely Carter¡®s name. She puts him on loudspeaker and my brows furrow. The bastard even helped us search his pack territory. Was this some sick game to him? ¡°Carter?¡± I asked. ¡°Hello Valen,¡± Carter drawls through the phone. ¡°Done wasting resources? Though I am shocked at how hard you searched for Zoe,is it?¡± I growl at him opening the mind link ¡°You sick fuck, Marcus will kill you when he gets his hands on you,¡± ¡°I never touched her,¡± he ims. ¡°Find Carter! He has them,¡± I call through the link. ¡°Well, that was fast,¡± he says, confusing me. ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°Two seconds and I hadn¡®t even asked for anything yet and you called across the mind¨Clink. You won¡®t find me,¡± he says and I look at Everly. Heughs, I knew he was crazy but this was a whole other level.. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. ¡°I have a mole. Don¡®t be surprised, you have plenty of enemies in this city. It shouldn¡®te as a surprise to know one lives in your pack,¡± Fuck! That renders the mindlink useless. ¡°Where is Ava Zoe?¡± I demand. ¡°With me, of course. Now call off your men or, I send Zoe back in pieces,¡± Everly whimpers beside me and I nce at her, the blood draining from her face. Macey bursts into the living room, she had been staying here while we organized search parties. She rushes to Everly side and helps her sit down. ¡°What do you want? I swear, if you have hurt them¡­¡± though I knew he already had, by the fact my Beta has had to be sedated for two days. ¡°You¡®ll do nothing Valen. I am calling the shots. Now I have two requests. One, I want the money John owes. Two, you stand down as Alpha, hand your pack over to me, and leave the city. Leaving your mate and son behind until I know you are far enough away for me to escape.¡± ¡°Like fuck I will! Hand them over and we can talk this out,¡± I tell him. ¡°Ah, ah, ah, you¡®re not in a position topromise. As I said, I¡®m calling the shots not you but as a sign of goodwill, I want the money by 5PM. I will select the meeting spot, and send Everly to drop the money off,¡± ¡°No!¡± I snarled, cutting him off. ¡°I don¡®t think you understand the position you¡®re in Valen,¡± ¡°I¡®ll do it,¡± Macey says. I nce at her and Everly shakes her head trying to get out of her seat but I growl telling her to sit down. ¡°See, you have a volunteer. May I know who the bravedy is?¡± Carter asks and Macey growls. ¡°Oh, and she sounds feisty,¡± Carter chuckles. ¡°You¡®re a sadistic prick!¡± ¡°Oh you have no idea how sadistic but nheless, money at 5PM. I will call with the drop off point and tell her where to go, in return I will give her Zoe. Once you see I made good on this, then we move on to the next part,¡± ¡°You want me out of the city? That is fine, but I am taking my mate and son with me.¡° That isn¡®t what I agreed to, but for now I need the money. If anyone follows her, I will get one of my men to slit Ava¡®s throat, ¡°Everly gasps at his words making my eyes dart to her briefly. ¡°Why are you doing this?¡± ¡°I don¡®t know. Why am I doing this? Maybe I am just a sadistic prick,¡± heughs. ¡°Do as he says Valen, please,¡± Everly begs with tears in her eyes, though her rage was evident through the bond. ¡°Take the deal. I will meet him,¡± Macey growls. ¡°So the girl, what is her name?¡± ¡°Her name is Macey,¡± ¡°Ah, the rogue whore. I heard about her, quite the brute,¡± Macey growls snatching the phone from me Macey gives Carter her number and Everly starts calling banks to empty ounts toe up with the money. It just made no sense and who was the mole in my pack? There was only one way for him to know I used the mindlink, which means one of my men was with him. ¡°One person follows her, and I kill Ava,¡± Carter snarls as Macey hands the phone back to me. ¡°Yeah, yeah. I fucking heard you.¡± I was about to hang up when he spoke again. ¡°Well, I will hand the little one back. Send the rogue to get her, but Ava stays until you stand down and hand the city back over Valen, and don¡®t forget my money,¡± he snarls into the phone before hanging it up. ¡°He had them all this time,¡± Everly says, her hands shaking as she rubs her face with them, wiping the tears away. ¡°I have to tell my father¡± she murmurs, getting to her feet and passing me the phone that she was on the bank with. I send officer Derrick to retrieve the cash and bring it here, while I have Doc sent over to give Macey a dose of the cure in case Carter tries anything. We then waited by the phone for it to ring. John came over with my father, and the moment the phone rang he pounced on it and begged to swap ces with Ava. My father had said John had called Carter on the way here, but Carter refused. This whole scenario was bizarre and I couldn¡®t figure it out, none of us could. We thought Carter was a victim in this. That is how he portrayed himself to be when his father fled. We found him in a padded room for fucks sake. Was it all an act? ¡°Put the girl on,¡± Carter snarls, obviously getting sick of John¡®s begging. He hands the phone to Macey. ¡°Get in your car. I will tell you the directions. One person follows and Ava is dead, so don¡®t try anything,¡± he snarls and Macey swallows and looks at us. Taylores out from up the hall. Tears brimming in her eyes. My father instantly tends to her escorting her off. ¡°Do as I say and no one gets hurt,¡± Carter says and she lets out a shaky breath. Everly goes to lift the duffle bag but I take it from her and ce it over Macey¡®s shoulder. Officer Derrick stops her as she passes him and holds a finger to his lips. He pulls his gun from his holster and turns the safety off and on to show her, and she nods before he tucks it down the back of her pants. Macey was also wearing a tracking device and voice recorder tucked in her bra. The council was already alerted, there was no way he was leaving this city once I stood down. But what was the point of that if he was nning on leaving? All it would do is sever my ability to mind link and I know my people won¡®t bow for any other Alpha. Except whoever the traitor in my pack is, It made no sense, I watched helplessly as she left out the doors, knowing he was watching from somewhere outside, and it wasn¡®t worth the risk knowing Ava would be killed. For now, I would y his game until the council arrived. Then I would kill him. Macey POV My stomach knotted and the gun dug into my lower back as I followed his directions, Yet he had me circling the city for ages like he was wasting my time. ¡°Turn at the next roundabout and double back,¡± this was the sixth loop of the city. I knew he was making sure I wasn¡®t followed. Valen wouldn¡®t risk Ava and Zoe. I knew that much but he was an idiot if he thought Valen wouldn¡®te after him for this. Marcus would kill whoever hurt Zoe when he woke. The rogues would even hunt the bastard down for what he did. ¡°Pull over by the post office sorting facility,¡± I do as he says, yet I see no one or any cars. ¡°Get out of the car and walk up the alley and ce the bag by the bin,¡± ¡°Where is Zoe?¡± I growl. ¡°Dump the bag first,¡± ¡°Not until I have Zoe!¡± I snarl. ¡°Little stupid making demands don¡®t you think? Very well, Zoe is with me,¡± ¡°And where are you?¡± ¡°Close. Now dump the bag,¡± ¡°No! Not until I have Zoe!¡± Carter snarls. ¡°Foolish woman,¡± he sneers and Zoe shrieks in the background. ¡°Okay! Okay!¡± I yell, shoving the door open. This part of town was dead, but close to the old meat factory and I had a sneaky suspicion he was in one of these warehouses. I grab the bag from off the backseat, ncing around. ¡°There is a dumpster and one of my men is up there. Once you hand the bag over I will tell you where to find your friend,¡± I growl but do as he says. A man with dark hair smiled and waved as I drew closer. ¡°That¡®s close enough, drop the bag,¡± he calls and I do. ¡°Do as he says,¡± Carter adds, I hear a car pull up behind me and my heart rate picks up. ¡°Back up slowly,¡± the man says, levelling his gun at me and I raise my hands in the air, backing up like he asked the phone clutched in my hand and I was aware a car had pulled up down by mine at the end of the alley. The man backs away, before rushing ofl. I hear a car door open and hear a grunt behind me and whimper. ¡°You can turn around, tell Valen this is a warning, if he doesn¡®t heed the warning what happens next is on him.¡± Carter says and I turn around I notice Zoe first wearing only a man¡®s shirt and covered in blood. I scream dropping the phone and rush toward her when his scent hits me and I see a man shove her forward to her knees. I stopped in my tracks as I peered at the man who no doubt was Carter. He appears just as shocked and I stagger, my heart near stopping. No! No! Not him, anyone but him! Yet my entire body screamed mate! ¡°Macey!¡± Zoe screams, pulling us both out of our stunned stand¨Coff. He shakes his head racing back toward his car while I raced toward Zoe. She screams the sound tearing my soul apart and I graze my knees as I fall to them to clutch her. Her entire body shook as I clutched her. ¡°He still has Ava,¡± she cried. ¡°You have to help her,¡± yet the scent of the man from the alleyway was all over her, and another man¡®s, though not Carter¡®s. Yet he let them do this to her, I didn¡®t have to ask, it was obvious when I picked up another scent. I was about to say the name when she did. ¡°Micha, Micha is helping Carter,¡± she choked out and sobbed. ¡°Micha did this,¡± I asked and Zoe whimpered. Wait, does Derrick know his son is in on this? ¡°Where is Marcus? I want Marcus.¡± She whimpers as I haul her to her feet. ¡°I will take you to him,e, we need to get you to Hospital.¡± Yet my stomach turned. How could I be mates to a monster? A monster that hurt Zoe, hurt my sister! My blood boiled in my veins yet I contained it. He deserved what wasing for him. ¡°My Casey? Oh my God Macey, where is Casey?¡± Zoe was unbelievable. After whatever she endured, all she cared about was her mate and daughter. Her hands clutched me tightly and I opened the passenger sideof my car and helped her in. ¡°She is with Everly, she is safe. But for now, I need to get you out here and alert Valen about officer Derrick¡®s son,¡± I snarl thest word. Chapter 121 Chapter 121 Everly POV Macey rang me as soon as she got Zoe and I demanded Valen take me to the hospital to meet them. Macey also said to bring officer Derrick along with us, so we left the kids with Kalen and my father while we went off to meet them. My anxiety was through the roof as we waited. We were sitting in the room with Marcus who was slowlying out of sedation. Valen was trying to calm h?m down, because as soon as his eyes opened he was trying to climb out of bed.My phone started ringing and I pulled it from my pocket and answered it to find it was Macey. ¡°I¡¯m in a room a few doors down from Marcus.Hold off on letting Marcus see her for a second.And come here.He shouldn¡®t see her like this,¡± she tells me and I nce at Valen who was trying to hold Marcus in ce. Officer Derrick whips out his handcuffs the moment Valen tells him and cuffs him to the bed. ¡°Macey has asked me to go see Zoe.Are you right with him for a second?¡± I mindlinked Valen and he nodded looking at officer Derrick who nodded. Officer Derrick follows me a few doors down, and I suck in a breath before opening the door and stepping in. What I wasn¡¯t expecting was the scene in front of me. Zoe was frantically fighting Macey, who was trying to restrain her and calm her down. Nurses stood around her and a doctor with a syringe like he was about to try sedate her.I growl at him and he drops the needle stepping away from her, and Zoe¡¯s eyes snap to me and so does Macey¡®s. Though the snarl that left her when officer Derrick walked in behind me was thunderous. And the next second, she had pulled his gun on him. ¡°Macey!¡± I hissed in shock, rushing to Zoe who clutched my arms Yet she refused to lower the gun, but I was more focused on Zoe who refused to let go of me.Begging and pleading to be able to see Marcus and Casey ¡°Shh.Breathe, Zoe.Deep breaths.Marcus is fine.You can see him in a minute,¡± I whisper as tears burn my eyes at seeing her so frantic. She reeked of wolves scents, when I picked up a familiar scent.One that had my head turning toward officer Derrick. ¡°Out!¡± Macey snarls at him, pointing the gun at him.He held his up and did as she asked, stepping out of the room while she followed after him. ¡°Valen, get to Derrick before Macey shoots him.She is in the hall,¡± I mind link turning my attention back to Zoe. ¡°I just want my baby!I want my Casey!¡± Zoe sobbed, her nails digging into my arms and my eyes ran over her. She was a mess. Covered in blood and I swallowed, the pain in her voice, the desperation.I don¡¯t even think she registered Macey had left, her mind only had one focus and that was to get to her ¡°Okay.But you don¡¯t want to scate Casey, do you?¡± I ask her and she appears to be confused. I grip her hands, prying them off my arms where she drew blood with her nails. ¡°You don¡¯t want to scare Casey, Zoe,¡± I tell her, holding her hands up in front of her face. She blinked at me before noticing the blood on her hands. ¡°I promise I will take you to them.But you need to let the nurses check you over and¡­¡± I swallowed, looking at them. ¡°They need to take some swabs, so we can get those that hurt you.So they don¡¯t hurt anyone else,¡± I tell her and she blinks, staring at her hands that tremble violently. ¡°I don¡¯t want to scare Casey,¡± she murmurs. ¡°That¡¯s right, we don¡¯t want to scare Casey.I am right here, okay.But I need you toy down so we can make sure you¡¯re okay,¡± I felt stupid saying that.I knew she wasn¡¯t okay. ¡°I¡¯m right here,¡± I tell her, nudging her toward the bed before turning to the Doctor. ¡°Get a female doctor.You¡¯re not touching her,¡± I tell him and he rushes out. Casey mutters to herself as sheys down and I could see she was in shock. And she appeared to remain in that state while Doctors and nurses cleaned her up, and ran their tests when she lurched upright. ¡°Ava!¡± she gasped with wide eyes. ¡°They still have Avaa!You have to help her!¡± tears pricked my eyes at her words, some escaping and slipping down my face. ¡°I know.But for now, my focus is on you,¡± I tell her. Doc came in and I was about to tell him to get out because we had the female Doctor here, and that he wasn¡¯t really needed but Zoe sat up. ¡°Marcus?¡± she asked, her voice pleading. ¡°He is down the hall.I can take you to him.But first, I have some officers that want to take a statement from you,¡± Doc tells her.He smiles at me sadly. ¡°No!I want my mate.¡± she says, shaking her head. ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. ¡°Can you do this one thing first?Just this one thing and then he will take you to Marcus,¡± I tell her when I hear a howling wail from outside. Zoe, understandably in shock, didn¡¯t seem to notice it as sheid back down, when a female officer came in.I bite my lip wondering what is going on out in the hall when Maceyes in.I nce at her and she walks over to me. ¡°Micha was one of them,¡± she whispers to me and my stomach drops. He would do that to his daughter¡¯s mother? My blood boiled but it exined his scent and Derrick¡¯s reaction from in the hall.Zoe gave her statement and I nodded for Doc to get Marcus.We helped her out of bed, she wore a hospital gown and was mostly cleaned up. The nurses helped us shower her to rid her of their scents that lingered on her.She was jumpy but she also knew we were trying to help her. Zoe knew Macey and I would never hurt her. Yet the moment Marcus stepped in the room. Something snapped within her as she tore out of our grip.Her body crashed against his sending him backward as he clutched ?er. Valen walks in behind him and steps around them. The nurses quickly leave while we watch all the broken parts of both of them shatter more as Marcus comes to the realization of what happened to her. No one told him, but he knew, that much was obvious when he sniffed her and his eyes went to Valen. The murderous look on his face was evident.He wanted blood. And Valen nodded to him in a silent message telling him he would get it. ¡°You¡¯re okay,¡± Marcus whispered to her, tears slipping down his face as he rocked her. ¡°We are gonna be okay,¡± he whispers repeatedly to her, using his mate bond to soothe her as she sobbed against him. ¡°Derrick?¡± I mindlink Valen. ¡°Hunting his son.¡± ¡°He had no idea?¡± I asked. ¡°No.Imanded him, he had no idea, Apparently Amber left Micha.And she took another as a mate.He has hardly seen his son since.Said he hadn¡¯t been of sound mind,¡± I nod clenching my teeth. He would pay for what he has done, and so would Carter for allowing it.We knew he didn¡¯t touch her because his scent wasn¡¯t on her, but there were two more.I just prayed Ava wouldn¡¯t be subjected to the same thing ¡°I need to go.Can you watch Zoe?I¡®ll be back soon,¡± Macey whispers to me. My brows furrow but I nod to her, she probably wanted to get changed out of her blood soaked clothes. ¡°Are you heading home?¡± I ask and she nods. ¡°I just want to change and I need to check on Tatum.He has been blowing up my phone,¡± I nod to her. Macey leaves but I couldn¡®t help but feel something was up with her too. Or maybe it was the shock of everything She leans down and touches Zoe¡®s hair where she was sitting on the floor with Marcus. Zoe looks up at her. ¡±I¡¯ll be back soon okay,¡± Macey tells her. ¡°Casey?¡± Zoe asked ¡°I will check on her okay?You will see her soon,¡± Macey tells her and she nods. Macey leaves when Doces in with a pill cup in his hands and a bottle of water.He silently stood there reading the room, his eyes falling on Marcus as he watched for any reaction. But Marucs was deadly calm as Doc exined what the pills were. Morning after pills. Zoe stares at the little cup before she breaks down putting her head in her hands. ¡°I will leave these over here for her if she wants them,¡± Doc says, cing them on the little table and walking out Marcus talks to her and I hated this. My own thoughts of when I found out I was pregnant and my father demanding I get abortion. How silly it seemed that Zoe was worried she would be going against the goddess, but no goddess would condone this. Condone someones will being taken from them. Yet seeing her struggle put it into perspective. Our situations were so different. ¡°If you want to take them Zoe, no one is judging,¡± Valen tells her. ¡°But the goddess,¡± Zoe whimpered. ¡°The goddess would understand.The goddess would give you the right to choose.And no choice is wrong.Everyone¡¯s situation is different and no one is judging.This isn¡¯t a judgment.You won¡¯t be judged for doing what you want to do,¡± I tell her. Zoe seems unsure yet I could tell she didn¡¯t want to potentially carry her rapist¡¯s child. ¡°Choice.There is a reason the Goddess grants it.The only one getting condemnation is those taking another¡¯s choice.Your body, your life.No one gets to tell you what you do with it.And no one has a right to judge your choice.They aren¡¯t the ones that have to live with it,¡± I tell her and Zoe nods. ¡°I don¡¯t want to¡­ I can¡¯t carry¡­¡± she shakes her head. No child should be forced into a world this way. My judgment and beliefs suddenly shifted.This is one of many circumstances where one should have the right to choose. This is not the work of any goddess, nor would any goddess punish someone for aborting a few cells. Now I understand why she gave us a choice.Why we got to choose. Because if all our stories were the same, why would qur opinions on it be so different? If she wanted us all the same, why would situations be so different? Why are our fates different? No one chooses this for themselves. Just like no one chooses poverty. So those that can¡¯t bring a child into the world via rape or due to life cicumstances like poverty aren¡¯t heartless, they are selfless. Sacrificing their own wants to stop any future child from having to live the torments or consequences of how they were brought into the world. Choice and options. There is a reason we are given it, because not all choices are made the same. And no one¡¯s choices should be judged when ites to another¡¯s life or a life being brought into the world. Especially life that would only know pain or judgment.I hold the pills out for her and she looks at Marcus who lets her decide, he adds no input. The decision is her and hers alone. She chooses, she chooses to let the suffering end, and it¡¯s the same decision I would have made. Though there is no right or wrong decision, because it is not my life and not my ce to judge. Marcus hugs her tight as she hands the little cup back to me empty. I set it down and she lets out a breath Marcus rests his head against the wall and Zoe looks at Valen ¡°Micha is helping Carter,¡± she whispers and Marcus growls. Valen crouches down next to her. ¡°I know.We will get him,¡± he promises her and she < nods wiping a stray tear before she looks at me just as Doc walks in. He nods his head tossing the small cup in the bin. ¡°Can you tell us anything about where you were kept?¡± Valen asks her. She sniffles but answers. ¡°The old tunnels under the city.He was talking about getting vengeance for...¡± She looks at me. ¡°He wants revenge on your father.I overheard him.He wants Valen to stand down as Alpha,¡± she shakes her head like she is trying to remember something. ¡°He needs Valen to leave the city, so he can get.....¡± her eyes widened and she looked at me. ¡°To kill you and Vrian!To get revenge on your father, he ¡­ I can¡¯t remember,¡± she rubs her temples and Valen growls. ¡°The council will be here by tomorrow, but I bet Carter has moved.He wouldn¡¯t have stayed there after handing Zoe back,¡± Valen says, looking at me. Yet I was still stuck on what this had to do with my father. My father?That¡¯s who said he wants to get revenge on? Zoe nods. ¡°So not Valen and me?But my father?¡± I asked. Hadn¡¯t Carter¡¯s father caused my family enough? ¡°Might have something to do with Rachel?¡± Doc says and I turn to look at him and so does Valen. ¡°Why does that name ring a bell for me,¡± Valen mutters. ¡°Nixon¡¯s first wife.The one Carter¡®s mother killed.Rachel was close with your mother,¡± Doc says with a shrug. ¡°But what¡¯s that got to do with my father?She turned forsaken,¡± I told him. ¡°No idea.But there was a lot of spection around that time,¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I knew Leah, I was her doctor when she was pregnant with her twins.I was sworn to keep quiet, So many conspiracies around that time.Everything was swept under the rug, but even I heard about the rumors when Leah disappeared,¡± ¡°No.She left,¡± Valen says. Doc looks over at me. ¡°That¡¯s what everyone thinks, but rumors still went around that your father banished Leah from the city, Though I can¡¯t be sure, they were just rumors,¡± Doc tells me. ¡°Wait.Why would my father banish her?¡± I asked. ¡°Because she was Nixon¡¯s mate, and Leah was from the shadow pack.She was one of your father¡¯s pack members.¡± Doc answers. ¡°They are just rumors, of course.I suppose the only people that really know what happened are Nixon and Leah,¡± he shrugs. ¡°But Nixon admitted to abandoning her and forcing her forsaken,¡± I tell him, confused. Doc shrugs. ¡®¡®Doesn¡¯t mean it is the truth,¡± Doc says. ¡°I knew Leah and there was no way she would have left Carter.And Nixon loved her, though he was forced to marry Rachel for the pack alliance,¡± ¡°Pack Alliance?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but maybe you should ask your father¡®s, that was their time of ruling they may have more information than I can provide.Or maybe check the council records.There has to be some record of what happened.It¡¯s no secret that the Alphas have a way of covering their tracks, yet that doesn¡¯t stop the rumors,¡± Doc tells us. Chapter 122 Chapter 122 Ava POV Carter had me moved, and I appeared to be in some basement. I had been asleep for a few hours or maybe days I was unsure when I heard the door open. The man I hadn¡¯t recognized in my dazed state came down the stars. His scent was familiar, and I couldn¡¯t figure out why at first. He had a blue cap on his head and a handkerchief tied around his face likest time. Yet with my sense of smell and taste returning, my eyes widened when I recognized the scent. A scent I smelled around Amber. Micah! He walked over to me, where I sat in the corner, my wrist handcuffed to a drainpipe. He produces a needle, stabbing it into my thigh, and I yank on my restraints and snarl at him when he turns and simply walks back toward the stairs. My eyes began to blur, yet I fought to keep them open. ¡°Micah!¡± I tried to call, but my voice was barely a murmur, yet it was enough to make him freeze on the bottom step, and his entire body tensed as he gripped the handrail. He turned slowly, and his eyes roamed over me, and I knew without a doubt it was him. Something shriveled inside me and died as it dawned on me that he raped the mother of his child. ¡°When they kill you, I hope it¡¯s slow,¡± I growl at him. He growls and stalks toward me, ¡°They will never know, and you won¡¯t be alive to tell them,¡± he sneers, gripping the back of my hair. I re at him. ¡°No woman forgets the face of the man that fathered her child, just like they never forget the face of their rapist,¡± I sneer at him, and he shoves me back. My head bangs on the pipe, and he rips his hat off, clutches his hair, and screams in frustration. Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. ¡°Fuck!¡± he curses, kicking a wooden chair. ¡°I had no fucking choice. Do you think I could just stand there and watch? They would have fucking killed me!¡± ¡°You deserve far worse for what you did, and I can¡¯t wait for Marcus to give it to you,¡± I spit at him through clenched teeth. ¡°She won¡¯t remember. They drugged her,¡± he says, shaking his head. I don¡¯t know if he was trying to convince himself of that or me. Either way, he was wrong. Zoe was out of it, but she was not that far gone. She wouldn¡¯t have missed a scent she was ustomed to through her daughter. My head spun throbbed where I bumped it, and Micah scratches his chin when he snarls. Wandering around the basement, looking at the shelves, he snatches a piece of timber. ¡°I am not going to jail because of you,¡± he sneers, tapping the timber on the palm of his hand, my eyes open frantically as he stalks toward me, and I yank on the cuffs in ast-ditch effort to free myself. ¡°They don¡¯t need to know, and Carter was nning on killing you anyway,¡± he says slowly, trying to convince himself this would work. He lifts the piece of timber, and I gasp when he swings it, clenching my eyes shut, only I hear a crash instead. My eyes open, and I sag against the wall in a huffed wheeze when I see Carter shove him. I didn¡¯t even hear hime in. ¡°What the fuck do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± Carter bellows, gripping the front of his shirt. Micah was on his back, hands up in surrender. Carter snarls at him before shoving him. Yet the tension rolling off Carter was palpable, his Alpha aura menacing and straighteners his suit. He picks up the knocked-over wooden chair, sits the chair back upright, and takes a seat.He puts his head in his hands. ¡°Zoe?¡± I murmured. My lip quivered, and Carter¡¯s head lifted, and his eyes went to me before flicking away. ¡°Your friend is alive. The rogue girl Macey got her,¡± he says, staring off nkly at the concrete wall behind me. He mutters, but my ears can¡¯t pick up the sound, and I let out a breath of relief. At least Zoe is alright. Micah sits up and tries to get to his feet. Carter watches him, and his lips press in a line when the two thugse down the stairs from before. My muscles start to go numb, and tears burn my eyes when they move toward me. ¡°Don¡¯t touch her,¡± Carter snaps at them, and they pause, looking at him. ¡°No one touches her,¡± Carter says, looking at each of them. ¡°But you said,¡± the dark-haired man says. ¡°I said no one touches her,¡± ¡°Geez, bro, what crawled up your ass?¡± ¡°Nothing, I just need to think?¡± Carter says, rubbing his temples before running his fingers through his thick, blonde hair. The two thugs look at each other before looking at me. Micah also appeared confused as he nced between the three men when Carter¡¯s phone rang. He looks at the screen, and a silly smile splits onto his face and he looks up, noticing everyone watching him. He rejects the call before looking at his men before his eyes fall on Micah briefly. He nods to his men, who instantly snarl and start stalking him while he backs up. ¡°Wait, what¡¯s the meaning of this? Carter, we had a deal,¡± Micah says. ¡°Deal changed because now my ns have changed, chuck him in the trunk while I figure out what to do next,¡± Carter says, and Micah fought but was no match for the two men who quickly overpowered him. ¡°Wait, why have our ns changed? I thought we were killing the bitch and kid,¡± the blonde-haired man asks while holding a struggling Micah. ¡°I need to think of something else first. Something hase up.¡± ¡°So, what do you want us to do?¡± Carters ponders for a second and bites his lip, looking at the ceiling. ¡°We hand over a piece offering, and get me everything you have on that rogue girl, Macey,¡± he says, and the men look at each other, confused, and my brows furrow. ¡°The feisty bitch, I wouldn¡¯t mind taking a bite out of her,¡± the dark-haired man spoke, his words cut off when Carterunched out of the chair and punched him. The man staggers back, and Micah uses that chance to escape up the steps. The blonde man gave chase. Yet I couldn¡¯t tear my eyes from Carter, who was pummeling his own man bloody before he stomped his head into the ground, spilling blood and brain matter everywhere. Horrified at the disy of violence happening in front of me, I remained quiet and still. Carter kills the man in front of me, his face barely recognizable, and the blonde man returns, stomping down the steps and stops when he sees his dead friend. When Carter stands upright, he begins shrugging his suit jacket off. He tosses it on the broken chair before slowly undoing the buttons on what was a white shirt which was now stained red. I watched the blonde man¡¯s Adam¡¯s Apple bob in his throat as he swallowed. ¡°Find Brendan, clean this piece of shit up, and get me another shirt,¡± Carter snaps at him with not so much as a stutter, like killing his own pack member meant little to him. ¡°Ah, Boss, Micah,¡± ¡°Fuck Micah, he can get himself out of his own shit. I have bigger issues, now get me everything on that Macey girl and gets this ce cleaned up and fucking feed her, and get her a drink,¡± he says, pointing to me. The man nods swiftly, rushing off up the steps to do his bidding. Carter removes his shirt before moving toward a rusty sink basin in the far corner. He washes his bloody hands before drying them on a rag. When he is finished, he pulls his phone from his pocket. He types in a message and smiles to himself. I watched him, his entire demeanor changing when his phone rang. He answers it. ¡°Hello, little mate,¡± Carter purrs and a gasp leaves me. Who was he speaking to? Chapter 123 Chapter 123 Macey POV My head was swimming. I couldn¡¯t bring myself to tell them about Carter being my mate. I wanted nothing to do with the vile man that would allow the woman I considered to be my sister to be vited the way she was. Yet shame coursed through me.I felt like I didn¡¯t deserve to be around her after what my mate had done to her. Was I cursed when it came to men? Am I the bad omen for my girls? I was seriously considering it because unless Tatum marked me. I was as good as dead once I rejected Carter, and my mate ruined Zoe¡¯s life, and his father was responsible for killing Everly¡¯s mother and my mate by kidnapping her sister. However, Carter being my mate, left multiple additional issues because I will be rejecting him, but then what will happen with Taylor? Who would look after her and love her the way I do? My mum was getting old, plus she had my brother and his mate living with her, and as much as I love my brother, he wasn¡¯t exactly a good role model. After showering and checking in with Kalen and the kids, I headed to see Tatum. At the moment, he was the only good thing going in my life other than Taylor. Because everything felt like it was falling into tatters, and I had no idea how toe back from this, I saw the hell Everly went through without Valen. Saw how Kalen¡¯s rejection killed Vrie, so what would me rejecting Carter do? what would be the consequence of that? Walking down the corridor to his ward, I stopped and spoke with his physiody. Her name was Tracey, and she was the one helping us get him back on his feet, she warned me he was in a mood before I left her going to find his room. I knew something was wrong before I even opened the door. I could hear him cursing and heard ss break as he tossed something. Pushing the door open, I found Tatum on the ground, his crutches by the bed. ¡°Stupid fucking leg!¡± He curses with a growl. Immediately I rushed to his side, gripping under his arms to help pull him. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you use the crutches?¡± I asked him when he pushed me away, forcing me to drop him. He grunts, I move to help him again when he snarls at me. ¡°Just fucking leave me, Macey, stop fucking mothering me,¡± he snaps. I roll my eyes. I had put up with his pity parties before, only this time when I ignored him and retrieved the wheelchair pushing beside him. He growled angrily at me and punched it. ¡°Just fuck off. For once in your God damn life, Macey, stop trying to fix everything,¡± he snaps. I go-to reply when he holds up a hand, cutting me off. ¡°Don¡¯t! I am fucking sick of it. I am useless, and I don¡¯t want you feeling sorry for me,¡± ¡°I don¡¯t feel sorry for you. You¡¯ll be fine. Tracey said you did great today. It¡¯s only a matter of time, and soon you¡¯ll be walking around,¡± I tell him, trying to lift his mood. ¡°Want the crutches instead?¡± I ask him, moving to retrieve them. ¡°Get out!¡± Tatum snarls at me, and I freeze, ncing at him over my shoulder. ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°You just can¡¯t help yourself. Always gotta try to fix everything. My leg is fucked, Macey. It ain¡¯t getting any better, and I am sick of you telling me it will, so just get out. This isn¡¯t going to work,¡± he says, turning to look away. ¡°Tatum? You¡¯re just having a bad day, you¡¯ll see. I can help you shower, then how about we go outside?¡± I tell him, leaning down and offering him my hand when he ps it away. ¡°I said leave. I don¡¯t want you here. Are you fucking deaf?¡± He snaps, yet his words pissed me off before I realized it. I had pped him. ¡°You dare speak to me like this after everything, where the fuck is your family? Huh? Who has been here every fucking day? You don¡¯t get to speak to me that way. You think you¡¯re the only one having a shitty day? ¡± I snap at him while he rubs his cheek. I know he was upset about his legs and needing help and relying on people, but that is no reason to take it out on me. ¡°I am fucking useless, don¡¯t you see that? I couldn¡¯t even help you today to get Zoe back. I had to hear about it through the damn mind link!¡± Tatum yells. ¡°No one expected your help Tatum, we had it handled, and I am not here to visit your damn fucking leg. I am here because for once I needed you,¡± I tell him. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t want you here. I am sick of you babying me, so just leave,¡± I growl that he was trying to kick me and click my tongue. Fine, Tracey can deal with his stupid ass, and I will see him tomorrow. ¡°I get your upset, so I will just leave you ande see you tomorrow,¡± I tell him, heading toward the door before beating him senselessly or breaking his other damn leg. I did not need this drama right now. I just wanted to spend time with him, maybe get a hug so I could pretend for a few moments everything was okay. As I grip the door handle, Tatum speaks, making me stop. ¡°Macey?¡± He says, and I look at him just as he pulls himself up to sit on the edge of the bed. ¡°Don¡¯te back tomorrow; I have been thinking about it all day, and I can see it isn¡¯t going to work, so please don¡¯t make this harder than it needs to be for once. Just do as I ask,¡± I swallowed, my throat suddenly clogged and my eyes burned with the urge to break down. He was seriously going to break up with me? Over a leg? Or was he using it as an excuse since I couldn¡¯t give him a kid? I go to ask, needing to know when he shakes his head. ¡°Just go, Macey, we are done,¡± he says and my eyebrows raise. I really am cursed. Suddenly, I found myself speechless. I didn¡¯t know how to answer, so I just nodded my head before walking out. Something else was taken from me; I just needed to pretend, if only briefly, that I would find a solution where there was none. I needed to pretend someone other than a monster would want me. Clearly, I wasn¡¯t even allowed that moment¡¯s grace. I couldn¡¯t stop the tears when I climbed back into the car. Everything was so fucked up! It felt stupid crying, pointless, and a waste of time, yet I couldn¡¯t seem to stop as I headed toward the hotel. I couldn¡¯t go back to Everly and Zoe like this. They had enough stress at the moment, so instead, I went to work. I needed the distraction. Yet, pulling up, I saw the project manager out front talking to someone in a suit before realizing it was Everly¡¯swyer. He must be here to drop off the new deeds to the ce. Getting out of my car, I learn that is exactly what he is here for.He hands me the paperwork and goes over it with me on the hood of my car. When he is done, he bids me farewell. I watch him walk back to his car when I sing out to him. ¡°Ah, Joseph? I don¡¯t suppose I can ask for your help with something?¡± I call out, and he stops. ¡°Of course, what is it you need?¡± He asks. ¡°Everything I tell you is confidential, right?¡± I ask him. ¡°Yes, if you are my client, it is. Why do you ask?¡± ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. ¡°Because I need to do something, but I don¡¯t want Everly and Zoe finding our,¡± his brows furrow. ¡® ¡°May I ask what it is?¡± ¡°Last will and testament also some custody documents,¡± ¡°A will and guardian for Taylor, I assume?¡± I nod. ¡°Well, the first step is the guardian must agree. You can¡¯t just leave her to a family member, though that is usually where they are ced,¡± I sighed. I thought he would say that. ¡°How about I draw up some documents for you to look after, and I can have them sorted for you to go over at the end of the week?¡± I shake my head. ¡°Can you have them done by say,¡± I pull my phone out, checking the time. 8 PM tonight?¡± He nces at his watch and scratches his neck but nods. I assume all assets like your share of this ce go to Taylor?¡± I nod. ¡°And Taylor?¡± ¡°I want to leave her in the care of Everly or Zoe, or both?¡± He nods. ¡°I will see you at 8 o¡¯clock tonight. If you could meet me at my office, at that time?¡± Joseph says, and I nodded my head and let him leave, feeling like I aplished at least something. ¡°Now I just had to hope Everly and Zoe didn¡¯t question me wanting to sign guardianship to them if I die, because one thing I knew was once I reject Carter I was as good as dead. Getting in my car, I pull out my phone and message Carter asking if I could see him, when the phone rings a few minutester. ¡°Hello Little mate,¡± He purred and tears burned my eyes. ¡°We need to talk,¡± I tell him. ¡°Correct, and I have a proposition for you,¡± he says and I pause. Could I use this to get Ava home? ¡°I¡¯m listening,¡± I tell him. ¡°You need me,¡± Carter says. ¡°Definitely not,¡± ¡°Hmm, that is what you think, but I have a peace offering. Tell officer Derrick to check the mine entrance tunnels, I hear he has been looking for his son, Micah?¡± Carter tells me. ¡°A peace offering? You had my best friend raped!¡± I snapped at him. ¡°No, she fought back, she wasn¡¯t part of the n. But I give you Micah as payment for that,¡± ¡°Payment? She isn¡¯t a fucking whore,¡± ¡°I am trying here Macey. I offered to barter, and¡± ¡°I want Ava back,¡± I tell him ¡°And I want my mate,¡± I growl. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t want anything to happen to little Taylor, would you, or Tatum? I hear he is in a bad way, I doubt he would put up much of a fight, and seeing as I have eyes on Kalen and eyes into the hospital. I don¡¯t think it would be too hard to get to them,¡± Carter says, and I swallowed. What do you propose, then?¡± I ask him, fuck how many traitors did we have among US? I didn¡¯t doubt his words, though I have seen firsthand what this man was capable of and his father. Clearly, the apple doesn¡¯t fall far from the tree. ¡°I want immunity to leave with you. I have my money. My pack will handle John. I wanted to handle Everly and Vrian myself, but seeing as you havee into the picture. I am willing to renegotiate.¡± ¡°What is this bullshit vendetta you have against the shadow pack Alpha?¡± I demand and Carterughs. ¡°John started it when he tossed my mother from the city and told my father she left¡± ¡°No, your mother left for your father¡¯s infidelity¡¯s, Everly told me this story before¡± ¡°Wrong, that is what everyone was told. John forced my mother forsaken, for killing Rachel¡± ¡°And this had something to do with Everly how, because of who fathered her?¡± I scoff. It sounded ridiculous. ¡°Her family started it, I am just finishing it,¡± Carter states ¡°Started what?¡± I scream at him. ¡°Rachel was ire Summer¡¯s Cousin, she tried to kill my mother and my mother killed her in self- defense, and now he will know what it''s like to lose everything just like my mother did,¡± I nce around nervously, looking out the windows. ¡°Now I will give you a chance to deal with whatever is you were speaking with good old Joseph about, and take Micah as proof my word is good,¡± Carter says, and I say nothing, though he confirmed my suspicions that he had more people working for him. ¡°Think about it, Macey. You have until tomorrow to decide, or I kill Ava, Everly, everyone you love, and hold dear. Their fates now rest on your decision, so choose wisely, Love. Because either way, you will be mine.¡± ¡°And if I agree and you leave them alone?¡± I ask him, cogs started turning in my head as I navigated this new proposition. ¡°You have my word,¡± Carter says, and I chew the inside of my lip. ¡°Speak soon,¡± I tell him, hanging up before he could say anything else. Chapter 124 Chapter 124 Valen POV My hands rubbed over Everly¡¯s huge bump.Relief flooded me as I finally got her home.he didn¡¯t want to leave Zoe, and I even had to get Doc Darnel in to tell her to go home. She was supposed to be on bed rest, but I knew she wouldn¡¯t rest at all until she saw with her own eyes that Zoe was alive. Everly had been quiet most of the trip and I knew she was worried about Ava. We had scoured the entire city, including the tunnels, but nothing. ¡°Any news yet?¡± Everly asked as I leaned down to kiss her belly. I shake my head, and she pushes my face away, trying to tug the shirt she was wearing down.I growl at her, and she sighs, but I can tell she was too tired to argue with me. She hated her body.She believed she looked stretched out and ugly, but I loved the stretch marks marking her skin. I loved each one, loved that she was the vessel that currently carried thirty little fingers, thirty little toes, and three extra beating hearts. Hearts that were mine to protect and love. Yet to me, none were more important than hers, the one that beat so they could. ¡°We¡¯ll find them.The council¡­.¡± My phone started ringing, cutting my words off.I reach for it.I had told everyone to not use the mind link. Everly didn¡¯t need the extra stress, and I knew she would find no rest with everyone chatting away in our heads. Plus, now I had no idea who to trust. Macey¡¯s name pops up on the screen, and I nce at Everly as she rolls to reach for her water bottle. Sitting up, I grab it, handing it to her before kissing her head and walking out in case it was about Zoe. ¡°Hey, everything okay?¡± ¡°Ah, yeah, it¡¯s fine but can you send someone out to the old mine road?¡± she asked, and I pulled the phone from my ear to make sure it was her. It was an odd request, and she sounded strange on the phone. ¡°Why?¡± Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. ¡°I just drove past the hotel and reserve and saw a suspicious car head out that way.Just seemed odd,¡± ¡°Okay, I will send Derrick out that way with Dion.He is filling in tonight,¡± I tell her. ¡°Where are you anyway?Everly was expecting you back by now.¡± ¡°Just sorting a few things out at work.I will grab Chinese on the way home for everyone.Saves your dad¡¯s from cooking,¡± Macey says. ¡°Okay, can you ¡­¡± ¡°Yes, I will make sure to remember to get the prawn chips that the kids love,¡± Maceyughs. ¡°Great, see you soon,¡± I told her. We have a whole house full at the moment. Both mine Everly¡¯s father were with us, Macey and Taylor, plus Casey, and probably Zoe and Marcus soon, depending on howfortable they are with going home. I texted Derrick and Dion, who said they would head out now before wandering into the kitchen where my father was preparing food for dinner. ¡°Macey is grabbing Chinese,¡± I tell him, and he sighs. ¡°Thank god!I was trying to think of what to make and was about to send John grocery shopping,¡± I tried to picture that, though I am sure he has shopped before but to shop for this many would be a nightmare. ¡°What¡¯s up? Everly okay? ¡± ¡°Yeah, just tired.I¡¯ve been thinking of moving everyone to the main packhouse.It has been sitting empty for months and it has more space than here,¡± I tell him. ¡°If it is too much, I can take John, Macey and Taylor with me.¡± ¡°No, it is fine.I think Everly likes everyone in one ce at the moment, and I know she is worried about her father even though she won¡¯t admit it,¡± ¡°Yeah, he feels guilty about ire, Ava, and Zoe,¡± dad tells me. ¡°Where is he anyway? ¡± ¡°I think he is in doing puzzles with the kids,¡± dad says with a shrug. ¡°I know you don¡¯t like him, but he is her father, and we have all done some shit that wish we could take back, son,¡± ¡°I know, and I don¡¯t hate him.I¡¯m just worried that if something happens to him too that it might be Everly¡¯s tipping point,¡± ¡°Ah,¡± he murmurs, turning the kettle on ¡°Anyway, I was talking to John.He confessed something to me earlier,¡± Dad tells me, and I raise an eyebrow leaning on the counter. ¡°John banished Carter¡¯s mother from the city.She didn¡¯t leave because of Nixon.¡± ¡°What?¡± Dad nods. ¡°Yeah.ire threatened to leave him if he didn¡¯t because they were close; Rachel was her cousin.So he banished her but when he banished her and ordered her out, she had Nixon¡¯s daughter with her.John let Nixon believe she ran off with his daughter, but she didn¡¯t.He said he had felt guilty about it, but he couldn¡¯t find her once she was gone.He and Nixon had a rocky rtionship as it was with business dealings falling through, so he didn¡¯t tell him,¡± my father tells me. So Doc was right, there was more to the story. ¡°Anything else?¡± ¡°No, that is all,¡± he says when my phone rings.I pull it from my pocket and see it is Derrick. I answer it quickly, turning and leaning against the counter. Yet it was Dion¡¯s voice that came through the other end. ¡°We got him.¡± ¡°Got who?¡± ¡°Micah,¡± Dion tells me just as I hear a crash in the background. ¡°I¡¯ll be down soon,¡± I tell him, hanging up. ¡°Hang on, Derrick wants to speak to you,¡± he says, and I waited for him to beg for his son. I hear the phone exchange hands. ¡°Pick up Marcus on the way,¡± Derrick says before hanging up. That wasn¡¯t what I was expecting ¡°I need to go,¡± ¡°I heard.I will keep an eye on Everly,¡± he said, and I nodded my head. Walking down the hall, I stuck my head to see the kids ying with John. ¡°Can youe with me? ¡± I ask him, and he nods, getting up from where he sat on the floor. ¡°Everything okay?¡± he whispers, following me down the hall. ¡°Yeah.I need you to sit with Zoe.I need to take Marcus somewhere, and I know Marcus won¡¯t leave her with anyone she doesn¡¯t know.¡± John nods and doesn¡¯t ask questions. He knows there is only one reason I would be pulling Marcus away from Zoe¡¯s side.I stopped by the hospital on the way to find Zoe asleep and Marcus sitting in a chair, staring at her. As I stepped inside the room, Imotioned to him, and he got up from his seat. Marcus looked exhausted. Huge bags hung under his eyes, and his hair looked like he had been running his fingers through it. John steps past him into the room. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°I need you toe with me.John will wait with Zoe in case she wakes up,¡± I tell him, and he nces into the room at his mate and John, who had taken his seat by her bed ¡°Is it Casey?¡± he asks worriedly, and I shake my head. ¡°Come on,¡± I tell him. Marcus sighs and ruins a hand down his face. ¡°Valen, I¡¯m not¡­¡± ¡°We found Micah,¡± I whispered to him, and the look on his face turned to feral rage. His eyes flicker, and he looks back in the room at John, who nods. ¡°She wakes.Tell her I went to have a shower,¡± Marcus tells him before pushing past me. We left the hospital and headed to the police station. Walking out, we were buzzed in, and I could hear arguing and fighting out the back before we even stepped into where the cells were. Crashing of furniture came from one of the interrogation rooms, and I could see on the screen on the wall Derrick pummeling the living shit out of his son, who was bloody and trying to block his father¡¯s punches. Dion hits the inte, and it buzzes inside, making Derrick rise. Micah was sobbing uncontrobly, and blood coated his swollen face. Marcus tried to rip the door open when he noticed the screen. Dion and I had to grab him.His entire body trembled with the urge to shift. The door opens, Officer Derrick grabs the front of his son¡¯s shirt, tosses Micah out the door, and Micah sprawls onto the floor in the center of the room. Tears trekked down Officer Derrick¡¯s face, and his lips quivered. ¡°Dad, please,¡± Micah pleaded, and Marcus mmed against me, wanting to get to him. ¡°You are not my son; I raised no rapist,¡± Derrick spat at him before looking at Marcus. ¡°He¡¯s all yours,¡± Derrick says to Marcus before walking out. I nod to Dion to check on Derrick as he leaves out the doors. Micah backed up, and I let Marcus go, and Micah backed up, scrambling backward as Marcus stripped his shirt off, stalking toward him. ¡°You can¡¯t kill me. I am Casey¡¯s father,¡± Micah said desperately. ¡°No, Casey¡¯s mine,¡± Marcus snarled. He growled, the noise so feral and the crazed look on his face made the forsaken look tame before Marcus shifted him and attacked him. I step back, sitting on the edge of the desk while Marcus ripped him apart limb for limb, coating the police station with his blood, and his screams echoed off the walls. Chapter 125 Chapter 125 Everly POV When Macey returned home, she brought dinner with her, and tucked inside her handbag was a folder of documents. She sets the Chinese containers on the bench, and I start pulling down some tes and start serving, only to be scolded by Kalen. ¡°Everly, you¡¯re supposed to be in bed.Do you not know what bedrest is?¡± he says, clicking his tongue. ¡°I have sat in bed all afternoon, Kal.I am fine,¡± he shakes his head, helping me to serve the kids dinner who were perched in their chairs around the table. Zoe was getting released from the hospital the next day.She rang earlier, and thankfully the nurse had given her some makeup, so she didn¡¯t freak Casey out. My father was waiting with her until Marcus returned, but I wasn¡¯t willing to tell her where it was Marcus went and why. Though I think she knew because there was only one reason that would make Marcus leave her side, and that was revenge. ¡°You okay?¡± I ask Macey, touching her arm, but she pulls away from me, smiling the fakest smile I had ever seen on her face. I narrow my eyes at her, and she sighs. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m on edge.All this rogue stuff, the hotel, Zoe.¡± I swallowed, nodding and turning to flick the kettle on. ¡°Tea only Everly,¡± Kalen scolds. Geez, now I know where Valen gets it from. ¡°Yes, Dad!¡± Macey and I say simultaneously, and he chuckles. ¡°I will eat in the room with you.I need to speak to you about something anyway.Something not for kids¡¯ ears,¡± she says, and I nod just as Kalen chimes in. ¡°Great idea!You girls get settled, and I will bring some trays in and make tea!your ¡°he says, looking at me before pushing us out of the kitchen. ¡°Hang on,¡± ¡°No.Shoo, shoo!Make her sit down.I caught her trying to bleach the damn bathroom!Watch her,¡± Kalen scolds. ¡°She is nesting, leaving her.Besides, she cleans when she is nervous,¡± Macey defends me. Besides this sitting around was annoying, and I didn¡¯t like how everyone fussed.I get their concerned, but I was damn near going insane from it. ¡°Not with my three grC?she doesn¡¯t.She is supposed to be on bed rest.We want them babies to stay in as long as possible,¡± Kalen tells Macey. ¡°Fine.Just let me get some Panadol, these cramps have been the worst.Stupid monthly¡¯s!¡± she curses, and I blink at her confused. ¡°Wait.You still get your period?¡± I ask her ¡°Ah, yeah.I am a female,¡± Macey says. ¡± What do you think?The hysterectomy turned me into a man?¡± she curses, shaking her head. Kalen looks at her funny, and I look at him. Macey retrieves her panadol from above the stove, popping two pills with a ss of water. As she turns, she notices us staring at her. ¡°What?¡± she asks. ¡°You said you had a full hysterectomy?¡± ¡°No, a partial.They took all the baby carrying bits out,¡± Macey says as if she was tired of this conversation already. ¡°But you have ovaries?¡± I asked. ¡°Well, duh!I get a period, so I assume so,¡± she shrugs. ¡°Then you¡¯re not infertile,¡± Kalen says, and she pops her hip and puts her hand on her waist. ¡°What part of, I haven¡¯t got the baby carrying bits, did you not understand?¡± she says sarcastically. Kalen says one word. ¡°Surrogate!¡± she seems taken aback. ¡°Yeah, because someone would want to carry my baby?Yeah right.Besides, I need a man to kind of fertilize the egg and all.Unless your old dust sperm is volunteering,¡± she says. Kalen pulls a face. ¡°Pass!I am too old for babies!But, this news will make Tatum happy,¡± ¡°Would have made him happy.He dumped me,¡± she says, rubbing her temples. ¡°We are werewolves.We all know how impossible it would be to find a surrogate.Can¡¯t have a human carry them.And we are pack animals, it doesn¡¯t matter if it¡¯s not blood, you know what that would do to a she-wolf,¡± she did have a point. I have never heard of someone bing a surrogate, yet I would do it if I wasn¡¯t already pregnant.Though Valen probably wouldn¡¯t let me. And Zoe was in no state to ask, and I am pretty sure she and Marcus were trying before all this happened. ¡°Now,e on, I want to ask you something,¡± Macey says, grabbing her handbag and tugging me toward my room. I getfortable on my bed, propping myself up with pillows and settling under the nkets. Kalenes in a few minutester with dinner trays for us. Once he has left, she retrieves the documents from her bag. ¡°Are you okay?¡± I ask her. ¡°Yeah, why wouldn¡¯t I be?¡± I let out a breath. ¡°I¡¯m talking about Tatum,¡± ¡°It is what it is,¡± she says, trying to deflect the conversation as she sets some papers on my legs. ¡°Last will and testament?¡± I ask, looking at her. ¡°I just in case something happens to me, I want to ensure Taylor will have a ce to go,¡± she says. ¡°And you want to do this now?¡± I ask her, and she shrugs. ¡°Just thought, with all the rogue stuff.I just want to be sure.So I wanted to ask if you and Valen would be willing to take her.You know I can¡¯t leave her to mum or my brother,¡± she says. ¡°That isn¡¯t even a question.I would move heaven and hell to keep her.You know that,¡± she nods. ¡°I know, and you and Zoe are the only ones I would trust my baby with.The only ones I know love her just as much as I do,¡± I sign the document, and when Kalenes in, I ask him to sign the witness part, and he quickly does though he gives Macey the same odd look I gave her. ¡°nning on going somewhere?¡± he asks. ¡°What?No!Of course not!I just want to ensure Zoe¡¯s future is all,¡± he looks at me, and I shrug. It was the first time she had ever brought anything like this up. But she did have a point. We all should have it, so I would have to speak to Valen about itter. Though I had a will, and everything went to Vrian, I didn¡¯t even think of what would happen if something were to happen to Valen and me. ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. It gave me much to think about. We eat our dinner, and Macey goes to help Kalen shower and bathe the kids while I get ready for bed before we tuck them in their beds. When Valen rings, I answer my phone quickly. ¡°Hey, when will you be home?¡± ¡°I am home.Where are the kids?¡± ¡°In their beds, why?¡± ¡°Make sure they don¡¯te out of their rooms,¡± he says. With a groan, I climb back out of bed, shuffling over to the door and up the hall. I stand between their doors, but they are all asleep. ¡°Yeah, they are fine,¡± I tell him when I hear the door click open. I nce down the hall, hearing movement when Valen appears down the hall, and I gasp, ncing back at their rooms to ensure they are asleep. Valen was drenched in blood from head to toe. Not a patch of skin wasn¡¯t coated in the coppery substance. He rushes into our room, and I hear the shower turn on in the ensuite. Moving back to the room, I close and lock my door to see Valen step into the shower.I scoop up his clothes, tossing them in the hamper. They were sopping wet. The shower water turns red as it swirls down the drain. ¡°Micah? ¡± I whisper, recognizing the scent, and he nods, turning to face me, rinsing the blood off his face.¡° ¡°Now I know where the namees from, ¡°I tell him.He says nothing, just reaches for the soap. ¡°Marcus? ¡± ¡°Wants the other two,¡± ¡°I thought you were leaving him to Marcus,¡± ¡°Marcus revived him and wanted help.He is my best friend, and god help when we get our hands on the other two,¡± he says, his eyes darkening, and a growl escapes him. I swallowed before having to leave the bathroom from the pungent smell. When hees out, he is clean and retrieves his pajamas. ¡°My father?¡± ¡°Went to the bar.Don¡¯t worry, I sent dad to get him.And that would be them,¡± Valen says, and I nod, hearing the front door open and my father muttering up the hall. The smell of vodka reaches my nose from under the gap in the door and makes it wrinkle. Dad was drinking far too much, but not that I expected anything else. His daughter was missing, and his mate was dead. I wouldn¡¯t want to live either if our circumstances were reversed. ¡°Any news from Carter or any sight of them?¡± he shakes his head when there is a knock on the door. Valen tugs his shirt on before opening it, and it is Macey. Macey tells us she found the link between Rachel and my father, and that was what she was doing all afternoon. Kalen leaned against the door listening but adding nothing. But it suddenly made sense why Carter was so hellbent on ruining us. ¡°How do you know all this?¡± Kalen asks her, and her brows furrow. ¡°I went to the council chambers and dug through the old archives,¡± Macey says, though something was off about her. ¡°I sent men there and found nothing,¡± Valen says. ¡°I also checked myself and couldn¡¯t find the link on the online records,¡± Kalen adds, and I look at Macey. ¡°There were some files buried.They were in the wrong box,¡± Macey says. ¡°What box?¡± Kalen asks, and I don¡¯t understand the look on his face as he scrutinizes everything she says, wanting to know how she knows. ¡°Some old newspaper clipping box, buried right up the back,¡± she says dismissively. ¡°Thanks.Well, I will ring Officer Derrick and let him know and also the council,¡± ¡°The council is still here?¡± Macey asks. ¡°Yeah, they aren¡¯t leaving until we catch him,¡± Valen says, and she nods. ¡°At least for once, they have stepped in.But just be careful what you tell them, I feel like Micah isn¡¯t the only mole we have.¡± ¡°What makes you think that?¡± Kalen asks. ¡°Dad, leave her be.She is tired,¡± Valen defends Macey. He puts his hands up in mock surrender and yet doesn¡¯t take his eyes off Macey, who is chewing her fingernail. ¡°Well, I am off to bed.I am beat.Wake me if anything, anything at all happens,¡± Macey says, making a quick escape. I watch her leave, and Kalen follows out after her before I turn to Valen who was dialing no doubt the police station to let them know what we just found out. Though tomorrow I would be questioning my father a little more. Chapter 126 Chapter 126 Carter POV The bastard was cocky, and it was pissing me off that he thought he was calling the shots.I watched as John¡¯s Beta slinked around his office as we reviewed the ns. Little did he know they were changing. "I¡¯m changing the ns," I tell him. He rocks back on his heels as he passes me my drink, where I sit in the armchair "Excuse me? " "Are you hard of hearing, Beta? I said I am changing the ns," "We can¡¯t.It¡¯s toote. I already have everything set in motion," rke says, and I raise an eyebrow at his words. I watch him over my ss as I take a sip of the cheap whiskey. "ns change Beta.You¡¯ll heed to my demands, and you willply and still get your revenge.If not, you will find yourself disposable," I tell him, watching as the twit swallows. I would have thought John¡¯s Beta would have been more loyal. Turns out he was a snake, just like his daughter. Jumped at the opportunity when my father offered to take down John.His price is the pack, and he could have it. "These new ns you speak of? " He asks, leaning on the edge of his desk. "Everything is set in motion.Did you speak to your brother? Is he keeping the council away? " I ask him. rke nods when Amber waltzes into the room.She pecks her father on the cheek. The girl had her father wrapped around her finger. rke didn¡¯t take too kindly to Everly and Ava, calling her out when Everly challenged her father. Even if what they spoke was true, and it was true, Amber was willing to bed anyone to remain high on the totem pole. Damaged her and her family¡¯s minuscule reputation. ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Yet appearances are everything to these bastards. Fools, I would use it if it helped me to keep gaining the. "Amber out, we are discussing business," her father says, and she pouts, batting hershes at him. "Can I go see my mate? " rke waves his daughter off. Amber escapes quickly, sending me a wink as she sashays out of the room. "So, what has changed? " "Nothing for you.You will have your pack once John are dead.My father will grant the pack to you upon his return.But as for me, I have found my mate so that I will bargain Ava in return for her and leaving the city," I tell him. "So I don¡¯t have to do anything? " "No, just stick to the ns as originally nned, and I am leaving you in charge of making sure my father gets back into the city once the council leaves to challenge Valen." "You¡¯re father wants to challenge Valen? " "Yes, because if I go through with my original ns, my mate won¡¯t submit to me.Unfortunately, she is close to them.I promised I would back down for her," "And you intend to? " he asks incredulously. "She is my mate," I tell him simply. "But what of John? " "The evidence the council has and all records are in his name for the forsaken facility.So as long as your brother kept up his part of the deal, he will be executed either way by the council when they realize it was ire¡¯s DNA that my father was used to morph the forsaken.Rest assured, this had been in the nning for nearly a decade now.I know what I am doing.They will have no doubt¡¯s my father was forced, especially when handed the information about my mother," "So we frame John.You leave with your rogue mate, and where does that leave me? Valen will kill me," rke growls. "Not if my father kills him first," "He is the blood Alpha," rke states, as if I didn¡¯t know that already. "My father only has to get close enough.One bite, and it is all over for him.Valen will kill his own family once he turns rabid.Then the city is yours and my father¡¯s to do what you wish with.And I will be far away from here with my mate and her daughter," I tell him. "You¡¯re keeping the brat too? " "Mind your tongue, Beta! I can easily change the ns again and cut you out of them and the g daughter you have, too.I wonder how your rep will fare if I release the footage of the gang bang she was involved in? " rke growls. "And you will hand that footage over when it is all said and done? " I nod to him. We had a deal.He just needed to help my father get back into the city. Finishing up our little meeting, I headed home, well, what I was calling home for the time being. Pulling up, I see Amber¡¯s little hatchback and groan.I couldn¡¯t stand the bitch. If she wasn¡¯t mated to one of my men now, I would tell her to fuck off. Walking inside, the first thing I do is check Ava is okay.She is still tied up and gagged.I untie her so she can use the restroom in the corner of the room when Porteres in. "Got that information you wanted, boss? " I hold my hand out for the folder, and he ces it in my hand. "I sent some men to kill the kid for you.They n on taking her out during the school run," "You what! " I bellowed, spinning on him. He flinches, taking a step back. "I thought that is what you wanted," he stammers. I growl, stalking toward him. "Did I ask you to do that? " I ask him. He shakes his head when Amberes in, and I sneer at her. "Call it off, now! " I snap at him. He nods his head, quickly ripping his phone from his pocket and nudging Amber out of the room. "She stays! " "I¡¯m sorry, boss, I will sort it.I thought¡­" "You thought wrong! Do you dare make decisions on my behalf? Now you will know what it feels like." "Amber! " I growl, pointing to my feet. He had to learn there were consequences for not obeying me, and he would learn. Amber, the whore, was all too willing toply. Porter quickly dials. "I will take care of it," he gushes, and Amber looks up at me as I look down at her. The woman disgusted me.She really was a whore.She is willing to do anything to remain at the top, even with her mate watching behind her. Porter makes the call, and I nod to Amber as Ava moves back to her spot. "Sit! " I tell her and she does, rolling her eyes before cuffing herself, knowing I would send Porter over to do it if she didn¡¯t. I nod to Amber, who fumbles with my belt before pulling my cock out. Porter whimpers, clutching his stomach, and I focus on the wall. Vile thing, she was like a leech. And if she wasn¡¯t the Beta¡¯s daughter, I would have killed her by now. Yet no matter how much she sucked my dick, it would never go hard for her. And this was merely a punishment for her mate, who eventually begged for me to stop, and I was d once he did. Shoving her away, I tuck myself away, and she wipes her mouth when I grip her face. My phone started ringing in my pocket, and I knew it would be Macey. She definitely would have felt that, which only angered me more as I gripped Amber¡¯s face. "Disgusting whore! And you¡¯re not even good at it! " I sneer, shoving her away. "Fuck you, Carter! " Amber sneers "Been there, done that.You were even worse at that than you are sucking cock, Amber.Now, get out of my face.Both of you! " I tell them, pulling the phone from my pocket "You fucking prick! " Macey shrieked at me the moment I answered. Chapter 127 Chapter 127 Macey POV Leaving Everly and Valen, I escaped to the roof, slipping through the doors and up the stairwell.I couldn¡¯t afford to be overheard as I made the call to Carter.I was furious. It was bad enough I had to bargain with him for Ava. "You fucking prick! join telegram fortest update " I screamed at him the moment he answered. "Well, hello to you too," He purrs. "You think I can¡¯t feel your infidelity, you asshole? Yet you expect me to run off into the sunset with you! " I snarled through the phone. "I was teaching one of my men a lesson.The whore means nothing.And don¡¯t pretend you haven¡¯t got up to mischief today, love.I know you visited your inte boyfriend," he says, and I chew my lip. Iscrub a hand down my face, staring at the night sky. "Macey, are you there? " He asks "Yes, I¡¯m still here." "Good.So have you thought about what I said? Have you gotten all your ducks in a row and are ready to leave with me? " "How do I know you will stick to your end of the deal? I don¡¯t trust you," "I gave Micah back, didn¡¯t I? Don¡¯t doubt my love now.But for ensuring purposes, we can leave her at the borders before we head to the cabin." "A cabin? I am supposed to leave my daughter, my life behind for a cabin? " I chuckle. "No, you can bring Taylor," he says. Yeah, definitely not! I would never allow her near this monster. Yet he would be if I left her behind. "No.Not until I know you stick to your word.I am leaving Taylor here.I want to ensure you¡¯re safe first." "I would never harm your daughter, Macey.Why do you think I was punishing one of my men? He wanted to have your daughter killed.I stopped it and made him watch as his whore of a mate sucked my dick.Vile woman! " he says. "Where is Ava? " I ask, ignoring his words. "Beside me, safe and sound.And she will remain that way, as long as you abide by the ns," Carter tells me. "And no harm wille to anyone here? " I asked him "None, you have my word.I just want you," I chew my lip, leaning on the wall looking over at the city. "Fine, we have a deal.Send me the details," I tell him before hanging up on him. I didn¡¯t want to talk to him more than I needed to.I sigh heavily; I could do this! Yet I just hoped the band didn¡¯te in the way when it was time to kill him. And he would die for what he had done! However, turning around, I was about to head back inside when I spotted John sitting in one of the fold-up chairs. "Interesting conversation, you just had Macey," John says, drawing back on his cigarette.Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. "Yes, indeed, it was.So I assume you have a n and reason for keeping this from my son?¡± "And my daughter? " John adds as Jalenes to stand by John. How I was stupid enough to not realize I was being followed and that John was up here the entire time was beyond me.I let my anger get the better of me and became solely focused on Carter¡¯s infidelity that I wasn¡¯t paying attention to my surroundings. "So you lied to Everly and me earlier, though I knew it was a lie.You don¡¯t get periods after a hysterectomy," Kalen says. I admit I panicked when put on the spot. Yet it wasn¡¯t actually a lie.I still get cramps. "Technically, I still get the asional cycle, and monthly cramps, though they are more of a dull ache." "So you do only have a partial hysterectomy? " He asks, and I nod. "Yes, I still have ovaries.But the way Doc exined it besides, eventually going into early menopause, is that my body will still have a form of a cycle, though the body absorbs any egg. " "But you still lied? " "Do you think I want to? How would Zoe feel knowing the man responsible for letting what happened to her is my mate? Carter needs to die! And they won¡¯t risk my life by killing my mate, so I have no choice." Kalen and John look at each other. "So Carter is your mate? You¡¯re certain? " John asks. I nod and bite the inside of my cheek. "You can¡¯t tell them.I know the girls and they won¡¯t risk my life.Killing Carter is the only way! " "And you could really kill your mate? " Kalen asks. "I have no choice.Besides, if I do as Carter says, he will give me Ava back.It¡¯s a trade," John leans forward, sping his hands together. "And you¡¯re the trade? " He says. "Let us help you.I get why you don¡¯t want to tell the girls, but you don¡¯t have to do this alone.Let us help," Kalen says. "It can only be you, no one else.Carter has people on the inside helping.He knows things he shouldn¡¯t know," I tell them. "OK.Say we let you go along with his demands.Ambush and kill him; you and Tatum split.You have a daughter, Macey.So then what, you die? " Kalen asks. I had thought of it plenty, which is exactly why I had Everly sign those papers. My baby would be safe. "I have ns for her in ce.Everly and Zoe will take her,"Itell them, and John looks at Kalen. "I will talk to Tatum after we sort this mess.Killing your mate, we have no idea what effect that will have.It¡¯s different from Vrie and me, and you are rogue," Kalen points out, and I knew exactly what would happen. I would deteriorate faster. One thing breaking a bond, another ughtering it. "No, Tatum was clear.We were over.I don¡¯t want to be pity marked," I growl at the thought. No one wants a sympathy mark. John and Kalen seem to think when John sits back in his chair. "OK, what about, and don¡¯t take this the wrong way, but Kalen or I could mark you? .You, not us, just to keep you alive? " I gape at him. "Dude, you¡¯re old enough to be my father! Ew! Gross! " "Not like that! Just¡­" "Nope! The bond will still have effects, grandpa! Keep your wrinkly, dusty old balls to yourself! I will let you help, but neither of you is marking me! " I shriek and pull a face. Yeah, I have no desire to be Valen or Everly¡¯s stepmother by default. "OK, we will figure out that bridge as we cross it," "No! I will figure out that bridge.Neither of you is taking a bite out of me.I would rather die than be attracted to your old asses! " "I am not that old! What is it with this generation thinking we are old? I have plenty left in the tank, not that I would, you aren¡¯t the only one grossed out by the idea, but at least we had one! " Kalen snaps? "Did you have a ck-and-white TV? You are bloody old then! " He curses. "Bloody stubborn woman, fine! But tell us the n, and let¡¯s work something out," Kalen says, reaching over and snatching John¡¯s smokes. He puts one in his mouth. "Since when do you smoke? " John asks him. "When I am anxious.So shut and hand me a lighter! " Kalen snaps, clicking his fingers at John.He then offers me the packet, and I take it, leaning against the wall. "So, what is this n? " John asks, lighting his own smoke before passing me the lighter. "We kill Carter, and take back the city, but first I need to get close enough to him and get Ava out," I shrug. "And the n? " Kalen asks. "Ah, that¡¯s all I got so far, I admit and Kalen curses.¡± Chapter 128 Chapter 128 Everly POV Something was going on with Macey and Kalen. They had been joined at each other''s hip for thest two days. And it was always the same excuse, too. They were dealing with the hotel renovations. Yet as Kalen left this morning, I couldn''t help but wonder because of the way Macey hung up abruptly on whomever she was talking to when I came out to make something to eat. "Where are the kids?" I ask her as she starts packing belongings into her bag and why was she so dressed up? "Kalen and John dropped them to school," she answers with a shrug, trying to push me back toward the room. "Goy down, you¡¯re on bed rest.I will bring your breakfast in." "And Valen?" I ask her not hearing him get up this morning, usually he wakes me. "Ah something about meeting the council elders with Marcus before they pick up Zoe," Macey answers as she shuffles me down the hall to my room. Their constant fussing was driving me insane. "Zoe ising home?" I ask, feeling relieved. She could havee home yesterday, but they kept her a n extra night so she could meet with a councilor this morning. "Yep, and I think everyone is moving to the main packhouse today.Valen said something about organizing it," Macey says as I climb back into bed. I stare at her as I pull my nkets back up and notice she is all dressed up, which I thought was odd.She was even wearing makeup. "Where are you going? To see Tatum?" I ask her. She chews her lip. "Um, yeah, I was going to try to patch things up with him.Hopefully, he is in a better mood today." she says, yet her jitteriness made me nervous. I couldn''t exin why I felt that way but she seemed off. She had for thest two days and with everything going on, it was understandable, but for her to suddenly hang around Kalen and my father? Two men, who for years she despised and now it was like they were all best buddies, it had me rattled. She walks off, returning with a tray of tea and toast. "Sorry, Valen," she sighs. It was fine, I would wait for her to leave my own coffee so she didn''t get in trouble. She leans down and gives me a kiss on the cheek as I pluck a piece of toast off the tray. "You know I love you, right? You and Zoe," Macey says with a shake of her head. "I would do anything for you, without question or consequence.You girls are my family, always have been always will be.And Taylor and I wouldn''t be where we are if it wasn''t for you both," she says. My brows furrow in confusion and I smile sadly feeling the same way about her.Yet it struck me as odd. Macey wasn''t one to dere her love or show her emotions.She gives me a quick kiss before stopping b y the door. "I love you," she says. "I love you too.Are you sure everything is okay?" I ask her around my mouthful of jam toast. "Yes, I am fine.I will see youter," she says, then walks off. Taking another bite of my toast, I shake my head at her strange behavior.I would be sitting her down when she gets home and finding out what is going on with her. Maybe I will ring Tatumter and tell him to pull his head in or get Valen to do it. For the most part, my day was as boring as every other day I spent in this ce. Yet by lunchtime I was starving again and decided after dragging myself out o f the shower that I would make something to eat.I was craving cucumbers and peanut butter. My mouth watering at the thought of devouring the strange concoction.I slip my robe on, deciding against clothes, knowing I would be ufortable and itchy. Besides, no one was home yet, which had m e confused. Kalen or Dad were usually back by now. Valen would be fuming if he knew I was home by myself, yet I wasn¡¯t going to ring him and snitch on them; I was enjoying the peace and quiet.I didn¡¯t feel like being stared at or criticized for my weird food cravings, and that means I can sneak more coffee. Wandering out to the living room, however, the devil himself calls, his ringtone ring loudly from the bedroom. I waddle my fat ass back to the room, puffing and panting as I barely make it to my phone before it rings out. Snatching it off the dresser, I put it to my ear. "Hello?" I rasp out. "Hey, just checking in," Valen says while I try to catch my breath. I sit on the edge of the bed, my lower back was killing from the fast pace, I made it back to the room and my hips throbbed. "Everly?" Valen asks. "Yeah, I am fine, just had a shower, and had to race to the phone," I tell him while tugging the towel that was wrapped around my hair off. I chuck it at the basket by the door but miss and internally groan, knowing I wasn''t going to be able to pick the damn thing up easily. "I may be a little while longer.I am just visiting Tatum," "Good, maybe you can find out what is going on with Macey.She was odd this morning.Did she say anything to Tatum?" I hear Valen ask Tatum about Macey before answering. "He said he hasn¡¯t seen her since their argument," Valen tells me, making my brows furrow. "Why?" Valen asks. "No, reason.I thought she was visiting him today is all.How was the council meeting?" "Dunno, they cancelledst minute, and¡ª" I pull the phone away from my ear hearing someone knocking o n the door. "Hang on a second, someone is knocking on the door," I tell Valen. "Let Dad get it, also I need to speak to him, so can you put him on?" "He isn¡¯t here, he left this morning, hasn¡¯t been back," I tell him, wandering down the hall. "But I spoke to him this morning after the school run. He said he was on his way back to you?" "He must have got distracted," I tell him as the knocking got louder and I drag myself back down the damn hallway. "Hold on, I am bloodying!" I yell to whoever it is when I feel my feet get wet as I step into the entrance hallway.I stop wondering if I imagined it. The knocking gets worse when I hear yelling from the other side of the door to open it.Valen was yelling in my ear, asking what was wrong, yet my eyes were on the huge puddle of water at my feet. "Everly, who is it?" Valen asks as I stare, stunned. My mouth opens and closes and I went to answer Valen when I hear the door burst open and smash into the wall. The sound makes me jump and more liquid gushes out of me, covering my feet and the floor. My legs be soaked when I look up to see armed men race down the hall with their guns drawn, straight toward me. "Valen, get home," I tell him when a man stops in front of me. He holds out a piece of paper, thrusting it toward me before looking down at the puddle I was standing in and ncing at the men behind him. "Who are you and what are you doing in my house?" I demanded and growled at the man. Valen, I could hear yelling through the phone. "We are looking for Alpha John, we have a warrant for his arrest," the man exins. "A warrant?" I ask, snatching the paper from his hand when pain ripples through my abdomen. I clutch the hallstand, the paper crumpling in my fist as I clutched my stomach with my other hand. "A warrant for what and who are you?" I growl through gritted teeth. I look up to see the men in uniforms looking at me warily. "My name is Deacon.I am a member of the werewolf council and your father is under arrest for his experimentation on the rogues and creating the forsaken." I tried to pay attention to what he was saying, yet pain like a sharp knife tore through my stomach. I groan and grit my teeth, trying to breathe through the contraction. "Ma¡¯am, are you alright?" the man asks, a little startled, his hand reaching toward me. I snarl at him and p his hand away. "Of course I¡¯m not alright! My damn waters just broke, and you just broke into my damn house!" I snapped at him, already feeling Valen getting closer. "We have a warrant, Ma¡¯am." he states. "Fuck your warrant!" I scream at him as another contraction made my stomach tighten and more liquid spilled onto the floor at my feet. The man jumps back and they all nce at each other as if they had never seen a woman inbor before. "Ma¡¯am?" the council elder asks. I re at him. "Call a fucking ambnce you idiot!" Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. I snap at him, not in the mood for whatever it is they are doing here or their oblivious faces as they gaped at me. Chapter 129 Chapter 129 Maces POV Pulling into the underground parking lot, I parked next to Kalen and John before hopping out of the car. Kalen also gets out, and we quickly go over the ns again while John ys with my phone and pairs it to his and Kalen¡®s so they can track me. ¡°We will be right behind you. John will grab Ava from the meeting spot, and I will follow. Derrick and Dion are waiting for the call. Once we have your location, we ambush him.¡± Kalen tells me and I nod. My heart was thumping rapidly as nerves kicked in, and I was stressing over leaving with Carter, even if only temporarily. ¡°Here, but just in case this disconnects, take this,¡± John says, handing me something that looks suspiciously like a suppository. He¡®s pulling my leg, right? I hold it up, looking at it. ¡°And what am I supposed to do with this?¡± I ask, and they both mumble and look away from me. ¡°Oh, hell no! You shaft it!¡± No way was that going up my butt. ¡°It¡®s just a precaution,¡± John mutters. ¡°I don¡®t see you shoving anything up your ass! Do I look like a drug mule?¡± I snap. ¡°Always the other ¡­¡± Kalen starts to say, but I hold up a hand to stop him before he can tell me his suggestion. ¡°Nope! Definitely not.¡± I growl, annoyed at how easy they were discussing myher bits. ¡°Geez, woman, just swallow the damn thing!¡± John says. I growl but swallow the rubbery device. ¡°You better hope thates out. And easily. I am not going to the damn hospital and exining this shit!¡± I tell him and John sighs. ¡°Hey, you wouldn¡®t let us get anyone involved but Derrick and Dion, so we need backup ns. That is the backup n,¡± Kalen tells me. I rolled my eyes before snatching the water off him and sculling some. The damn thing felt like it was lodged in my throat. Pulling my phone from my pocket, I nced at it knowing it was getting close to the time. We quickly went over the ns once more. Carter said Ava would be dropped to the old mine tunnels where he dropped Micah. Once I was out of the city with him, that was where John was heading first. Kalen was following behind me to the borders in one of the delivery trucks that came in this morning. God knows how much he had to pay the driver to the truck over and wait around, but a random car would look suspicious. ¡°Okay, where are you meeting Carter again?¡± John asks. ¡°The train bridge. Then once we leave the city limits, he said he would make a call to whoever has Ava.¡± I waited for the message toe in. It was the only thing going that we couldn¡®t n for because we didn¡®t know when he would ring. Once the messagees in, I drive to the station, and we all split up. Kalen went to pick up the truck, John, to get Ava. As I drive toward the train station, I passed Dion and Derrick. However, when I got to the train station, my phone rang again, and I saw no sign of Carter. ¡°Where are you?¡± I ask Carter. ¡°Get on the train that is waiting,¡± he says, and I look at the train. ¡°No. We had a deal,¡± ¡°And the deal stands. Yet if you think I am stupid, Macey, and that I wouldn¡®t know you have a n, then you are mistaken. Get on the train and catch it to the first stop out of the city,¡± he says, hanging up, and I curse. I shake my head, racing to catch the train before it leaves. I had to jump the turnstiles, and I slipped through the narrow door gap just in time. nce inside, I went to text Kalen when I noticed a teenage girl sitting in one of the booths. She had her headphones in, and I quickly tapped her shoulder. She looks up at me, startled. I could tell she was a rogue, and after a sniff of the air, she pulled her headphones from her ears. ¡°Can I borrow your phone to send a message?¡± I ask her. She looks at my phone in my hand. ¡°Out of credit,¡± I tell her before she says anything. She hands her phone over, and I quickly message Kalen off it, untrusting of my own phone. Handing it back to her, I watch the city slip by, passing Dion and Derrick, that was parked on the overpass. I wait by the doors as the train passes over the city. However, I nced down seeing police cars and ck SUV¡®s racing toward the borders before I recognized John¡®s car screeching to a stop as his car is circled. I try to see what is going on, pressing my face to the ss as I curse. But the train was going too quickly, and I sucked in a shaky breath. The train keeps going. The girl whose phone I borrowed waves me over. ¡°I um, think this is for you,¡± she says, showing me the phone screen. Kalen had replied. ¡°Borders blocked, hang tight. Something is going on,¡± is all it says, and I swallow and quickly thank her. I had no doubt this was Carter¡®s doing ¡°Fuck!¡± I hiss under my breath. My phone rings, and I rip it from my pocket. ¡°I noticed Taylor isn¡®t with you. And you have no suitcase,¡± Carter purrs, and I grit my teeth. Heughs. ¡°Little mate, you won¡®t get one past me, so I don¡®t know why you tried. Never mind, it¡®s alright. I will forgive your dishonesty. Make sure to get off at the next stop. I will be waiting,¡± he says before hanging up. Looking at the train map on the wall, I had no idea what train I even got on, but we passed two stations without stopping. I sat down until I felt the train begin to slow. Getting off the train, I moved to the parking lot and spotted a ck Mercedes waiting. Carter stood leaning against the hood. He looked impable in his suit, and the bond burned to touch him, but I stamped that urge down. ¡°What, no hug?¡± Carter purrs, stalking toward me. I try to sidestep him but am swept up in his arms before being pinned against the car. ¡°Where is Ava?¡± I growl. ¡°And where is your phone, love? Hand it over,¡± he growls, feeling my pockets. He finds my phone before dropping it and stomping on it. ¡°Ava?¡± I demanded, knowing everything was not going to n. I was barely holding myself together. ¡°In the trunk. Now, I am done ying your little games of cat and mouse, so I will release her the moment I have marked that pretty little neck,¡± he says, pressing closer, and I turn my face to the trunk, and I could hear the faint banging and groaninging from it. ¡°No. Release her, then we can leave. Let her out, Carter,¡± I tell him. ¡°I want assurance first. No one will risk your life. So you want her, you will let me mark you,¡± he says, trailing his nose across my neck. I swallowed, trying to stamp down the urges of the bond to give in to him. The sparks were relentless the longer he touched me, making a moan escape me. Carter chuckles, though I seethed on the inside that he had this effect, but if it worked in distracting him, I would use it to my advantage. ¡°Now there is the reaction I have been looking for,¡± Carter murmurs, nipping at my neck, and my breath comes in uneven breaths as the sparks and bond reacts to my mate. ncing around, I see the girl from the train waiting at the bus stop. If I could just get Carter to release Ava, I know the girl would help her. ¡°Not here. We have too many observers,¡± I tell him, and he nces around before reaching for the door handle. He pulls on it, opening the door. I nce at it as he steps away from me and nods to get in. ¡°You want her back, then get in. Once I have marked you, I will let her go and not a moment before,¡± he says, and I bite my lip and reluctantly get in. ¡°You¡®ll let her out?¡± I ask worriedly. What if all of this was some ploy? Carter leans in, clipping in my seat belt. When he pulls back, he smirks. ¡°Of course,¡± he purrs, pressing his lips to mine. Instead of fighting the bond, I allowed it, answering his kiss and internally cringing the entire time. Yet this insane man seemed to think the feeling was reciprocated and cupped the back of my neck, deepening it. His lips trail down my neck hungrily, and I offer it to him. Tears burned my eyes at what I was about to allow him to do. I just hoped I was strong enough to fight the bond afterwards. ¡°Do it,¡± I whisper, and he pulls away to look at me. ¡°Ava can catch the train home from here. Do it, so you know I am yours,¡± I tell him. He observes my face for a few seconds before ncing around the parking lot, and I notice it beginning to empty. The girl I could no longer see, she was by the bus stop, but now I couldn¡®t see her.N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. ¡°Carter?¡± I ask, turning my attention back to him. ¡°And you¡®ll mark me?¡± he asks, pecking my lips. ¡°You¡®ll let her out?¡± I ask, and he nods. ¡°Then yes, but¡­¡± ¡°I will let her out,¡± he repeats, and I suck in a breath and quickly nod. Carter kisses me, and I kiss him back, ying along when he pulls me to the edge of the seat so my feet are hanging out the door while the seat belt feels as if it would strangle me. He crouches in front of me, his hands trailing up my thighs when he turns his head, offering me his neck. ¡°You want me to go first?¡± I ask. ¡°Well, unless you can fight an Alpha mark, Love, you first. Because you won¡®t be awake long once I mark you,¡± he says, and my heart beats like a drum in my chest as panic kicks in. Carter grips my face in his hands. ¡°I promised, didn¡®t I?¡± he says. He offers me his neck, and I hesitate before leaning closer when I feel my canines tear from my gums as his scent overwhelms me, the bond ring to life, and I sink my teeth into his neck. The bond surges as my chest tighten and my heart swells, letting his soul intertwine with mine. Carter grunts, tugging me closer, holding me in closer until the bond forges. When my canines retract, I run my tongue over his mark, sealing it. My body felt traitorous, and I tried to remind myself I still had control. ¡°Good girl,¡± Carter purrs, pecking my lips before he rips my head to the side and sinks his teeth in my neck. I clench my eyes shut as pain rips through my shoulder before pleasure makes my entire body tingle, and I submit to the bond and let it forge. Yet as the bond formed and blossomed, I felt my body be increasingly heavy, and I sagged back against the seat. Carter turns me after sealing his mark, pushing me back in my seat and untangling the belt that was caught around my torso. ¡°Ava,¡± I murmur, fighting the overwhelming exhaustion. ¡°I will release her. Sleep,¡± he says, kissing my head and shutting the door. My head hits the ss as I slump to the side, yet I see Carter go to the trunk and pop it in the side mirror. He rummages around before I see Ava stagger forward before slumping on the ground as her legs give out from under her. Momentster Carter climbs in the driver¡®s door while Ava undid the gag from her mouth Carters starts the car, and relief floods me when I see she is alright. My eyes flutter as I force them to stay open, a fight I was never going to win. Yet while Carter spoke soft words, I saw the girl rush from the bus station toward her as he pulled onto the highway, and I smiled sleepily. She was safe. Me, not so much. ¡°You won¡®t regret this, Macey; I will take good care of you,¡± I hear Carter¡®s voice. No, but you will regret ever meeting me, I thought before the oblivion of the mate bond swept under me. Chapter 130 Chapter 130 Valen POV The phone temporarily cuts out as it goes through my Bluetooth, and I could hear Everly giving the council a mouthful. ¡°Valen!¡± she groans through gritted teeth as pain courses through the bond as I race to get to her. ¡°Nearly there. Hold on,¡± I tell her, racing through the streets. This exined why the council cancelled at thest minute, but why was another question? Yet right now, I had a one¨Ctrack mind: to get to my mate. ¡°Touch me again, and I will gut you!¡± I hear Everly growl at someone. ¡°Grab my bag! Over there, you twat! Now move!Unless you want to deliver my babies, get out of my way,¡± she snarls, groaning as another contraction hits her. I pressed my foot harder on the elerator when I heard her panting as she breathed through another, and Marcus white¨Cknuckled his seat as we tore around another corner, the car sliding out and narrowly missing some parked cars before I pulled it back. ¡°It¡®s too early! It¡®s too early, Valen!¡± I hear Everly cry out. Yet we hoped she would get to this point, sure we would have preferred her to go full term, but Doc expected this and Marcus assured me the hospital was getting prepared and an ambnce was on its way to her. Now, I just needed to get there. Yet as the engine screamed around the next corner. Marcus screamed when we found a roadblock. Cops were everywhere up the main drag blocking both sides of the road, and I saw my father get pulled from a truck while John had his hands in the air. Both of them are surrounded by the council and half the police force. The car screeches to a stop, and Marcus is thrown forward in his seat as the cares to an abrupt stop. Then suddenly, all guns were turned and pointed at us. ¡°FUCK!¡± I curse as the car bes surrounded. I growl. ¡°Valen? Valen, the ambnce is here. Where are you?¡± Everly cries as pain ripples through the bond, along with her panic. She was scared, scared she would have to do this on her own, scared for our babies and overall, just scared for herself. ¡°Just a detour, love. I will meet you at the hospital,¡± I tell her, watching as the car bes surrounded ¡°You¡®reing, though? I can¡®t do this again, Valen!¡± Everly cries. ¡°I promise I will be there. Just go with the ambnce,¡± I tell her before tossing my door open. ¡°HDYYgMDeWs where we can see the Alpha,¡±es a voice, and I turn my head to see John¡®s Beta smiling and walking toward me. John was pinned to the ground, being handcuffed. My father still stood with his hands in the air, and I wondered what was going on when I felt Everly¡®s panic through the bond. ¡°Breathe, love! I aming. I¡®ll be there soon. Just gotta take care of something first.¡± I mind linking her. We had been avoiding the mind link for weeks, worried about the strain it put on Everly, but seeing as it was baby time, I don¡®t think she would be more stressed than she already is ¡°Well, this is a fun turn of events now, isn¡®t it, Alpha?¡± Beta rke says when I see his brother Deacon pull up before getting out of his car. I knew he was with Everly, so if he was here, the ambnce had already gotten Everly. ¡°Valen, my daughter? rke said she is inbor,¡± John says, and I nod to him as he struggles on the ground, ¡°Trying to get to her, John. Give me a moment,¡± I call back to him when I see a scuffle, and my father shifts abruptly, taking off for the borders. I had no idea where he was going, but the moment he started fighting, so did John before everyone rushed to contain him. My father¡®s huge ck wolf takes out two of the men but effectively escapes. Yet Marcus and I were surrounded. ¡°Well, gentleman, you either shoot or drop your weapons. Because I made a promise, and I don¡®t intend to break it,¡± I tell Deacon as I start undoing my cufflinks. ¡°You are under suspicion for your involvement in the forsaken and rogue murders,¡± Deacon tells me, and my brows raise. No doubt Carter and Nixon were up to something. ¡°Is that so?¡± I ask him while removing my zer. I toss it on the hood of my car before I start unbuttoning my shirt, and they start backing up. ¡°Yes..Alpha Valen, we have¡ª¡± Deacon stutters, but I ignore him. Of all days to pick to piss me off, today wasn¡®t one of them. ¡°Now, I have a mate who, as you know, Deacon, is inbor,¡± I tell him, tugging my tie off. I tossed it on the hood, mindful of everyone watching me as I sized them up and counted how many surrounded us. ¡°We can¡®t let you go, Alpha Valen. Not until¡­¡± Deacon begins to say when I cut him off. ¡°The hard way it is then,¡± I finish for him as I toss my shirt aside. I hear Marcus growl behind me, but I pay no attention to him. I know he has my back. Stepping forward, I smile when they back up. They knew the very danger they were in if they tried to stop me from getting my mate; however, what I was not expecting was for Alpha Nixon¡®s wife to step out of the ck SUV behind them. My eyes zero in on her. Of course, Nixon had something to do with this and looking at Beta rke, and we now knew who the other informant was. ¡°We have all the evidence we need to prove this was Alpha Johns and your doing, Alpha Valen. It would be best if you came with us,¡± Deacon says while Nixon¡®s Luna saunters over with a smug smile, her wrinkling made¨Cup face. ¡°And what evidence is that?¡± I ask, curious about what I would have to prove myself innocent of. ¡°For one, the facility being in yours and John¡®s name,¡± Deacon answers. ¡°What facility?¡± ¡°The one hidden in the mining mountains. Also, the amount of incriminating evidence of the patient zero, of course. To use his own wife for his sick misdoings is purely vile, and you helped him all to drive my husband from the city. We have all the evidence needed to prove our case. Both your signature and John¡®s are on it. The patient used to create the poison and the vine. I won¡®t let my husband take the fall for this,¡± she growls. ¡°And where did this supposed evidencee from? You? Nixon himself?¡± I ask her, knowing it did. The other council members look around at each other while Deacon looks between the other council elders and me. ¡°Now, I am going to give you onest chance. Deacon, to correct this mistake. If not, you will find out why they call me the blood Alpha,¡± I tell him. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. If they want a fight, they will get one because no one was stopping me from getting to my mate.s ¡°So, I suggest you choose wisely because your shitty wolfsbane bullets won¡®t stop me. And if I have to run through all of you to get to my mate, so be it,¡± I tell them, feeling the ripple of the shift as it starts to take over. Chapter 131 Chapter 131 Deacon shifts ufortably on the spot, looking at rke while the other council members nce at Deacon, making me wonder if Deacon was only doing this as a favor to his brother, whom we were now aware was a traitor. "We found evidence at John''s packhouse," Deacon deres and Iughed because it even sounded ridiculous. "Before or after the forsaken attack? Or during?" I ask Deacon, but he says nothing. When I see rk step forward and John growls and snarls from where he was pinned before hearing the sound of screeching tires across the intersection. ncing over, I see sher Pack''s Alpha climb out of the car. Alpha Daxon and I were on good terms. However, he didn''t have the best rtionship with m y father, seeing as reportedly my father killed his son Preston. Yet Preston himself didn''t have a ster rtionship with his own father, who had threatened to remove his title for misdoings and the attention he constantly got from the media. Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. Yet Alpha Daxon was a good Alpha, a little old school like my father, but good. Though, it made me wonder why he hade here. Was he helping Nixon too? "Fucking bastard, you found nothing! Your men turned the ce upside down, and nothing. I know this was for Amber, rke, you prick!" John growled, and rke nodded to the main officer, pinning him before one of the officers smashed his baton across the back of his head. I pressed my lips in a line, and one of the older council members red at rke, who gave the order. Turning my attention back to Deacon, I fought back a growl. "I don''t remember you fighting on the front lines, Deacon.So while patient ''zero'' or Luna ire was dying protecting the city, were you nting evidence? Or was it your brother?" I ask him, wondering what the Alpha was doing here as I felt his aura getting closer. "And where was Nixon?" I ask his Luna, turning my attention to her. "Fleeing, that is where the scum was. Does it upset you that he left you behind with his psychotic son?" Alpha Daxon says,ing up behind me. "Dax," I acknowledge as hees to by me. "I lost over 100 of my men in that forsaken attack, and not once did I see one of Nixon''s men step out to protect our city.In fact, half of them were fucking forsaken, so how can you believe this Ludacris bullshit? Now let John up." Alpha Daxon growls. "We have evidence that this was all thought out, and Nixon was framed," one of the older council members says, stepping forward with documents, and Alpha Daxon growls. "Go, I will handle this," Alpha Daxon nods to me. "Give Everly my best," Alpha Daxon says, making me wonder if that was why he was here. Because of her? Yet when I went to move toward my car, a gun was lifted, and I growled furiously, only to feel Deacon''s daring hand grip my shoulder. My reaction was instantaneous as I reached back, gripping his shoulder and letting my ws hook into the thick band of muscle along his shoulder and neck before flipping him over my shoulder and onto the hood of my car. The bang of his body as the air expelled from his lungs on impact was audible as I removed my ws and gripped his forearm, giving it a quick twist and popping his shoulder out when I felt the first dart hit between my shoulder des. Reaching back I yank it out, feeling the toxin burn but it would take a lot more than one to drop me. Big mistake. Daxon howled withughter. "Oh, you foolish pup," Daxonughed at the young officer. I spun so quickly that the officer had only time to gasp as he came up behind me and I gripped the barrel of his dart gun, mming it into his face and disarming him. He clutched his face and bleeding nose when I turned the gun on him, letting off three shots in his chest.He staggers back, and the rest of the officers lift their weapons, pointing them at us. "Ah ah, I would advise you, that doing that isn''t a wise decision," Alpha Daxon states as I get ready to shift while Alpha Daxon just leaned casually against the hood of my car with his arms folded. Deacon groans behind me and scrambles off my hood, only for Alpha Daxon to shove him away. "Unless you want to take on an entire city, I suggest you step down and let this man get to his mate," Alpha Daxon says, and I look at him. He nods over his shoulder, and I see hundreds of people stepping out from between the buildings and cutting across the roads. "It appears your council holds no power here, not against my people," I tell the council members when I see Everly''s roguesing to our aid along with the sher pack the council look around nervously at all the enraged faceing toward them. "Seems you have found yourself in a predicament.I suggest you leave my city.They will fight for my Luna," I tell the council, knowing full well they were here for her. "And Alpha," Alpha Daxon says behind me before baring his neck to me. I press my lips together and give him a nod, d for once that our city would stand and fight together as one and because of the woman who would fight for them. "You earned that position when you stood beside me t o fight for my people, our people, and my pack will stand with you now," Alpha Daxon says, and I smirk, turning back to the council who nced around nervously when they found themselvespletely surrounded. "Let him go," Deacon gasps, clutching his arm. "What are you doing, we¡ª" rke goes to say, but one growl from his brother shuts him and Deaconnods to Alpha Daxon, just as John was let up.I wave for him toe to me, but he shakes his head. "I have somewhere else I''m needed.Take care of my daughter until I return," he says, confusing me, but I shake my head. I didn''t have time to ask what was going on.I needed to get to my mate, whose panic was bleeding into me through the bond. However, the roads were blocked with cars which was taking time, s o I shifted. My bones realigned and snapped before I tore off in the direction of the hospital.People scattered, getting out of my way, and I trusted Alpha Daxon would handle things. "Marcus?" I mind link. "Yep, I got the school run.Get to your mate," he says, and I cut the link, my paws scraping concrete as I cut u p alleyways and tore through my territory. The sight o f the huge hospital buildinging into sight made m e run harder, knowing she was just there. "Where are you?" I ask her, feeling her worry. "They are rushed me in for a c-section. Where are you, Valen? You aren''t here," she cried through the mind link as I smashed through the front doors. The people in the foyer shrieked and scrambled away when one of my nurses pointed down the corridor. "Second floor, Alpha,¡± she said, and I tore off for the Stairs. Buzzers went off in the distance. As I got to the floor; I found the doors opening by security as people flurried everywhere. My heart pounded in my chest as I shifted back, racing down the hall to find the surgical ward, following the directions of my pack as they pointed out which way to go before I came to a set of double doors. Before I could push them open to find her, a nurse gripped my arm, tugging me to a small room beside it which I found is a washroom. I washed my hands, and arms while the nurse tugged a hair down over my head before handing me a mask. There wasn''t much more I could do than that before she thrust a gown at me. I quickly yanked it on and rushed to the room next door to find Everlyying on a table. Her arms strapped down out in a position, and I scoot around behind them to find Everly with her eyes closed, muttering to herself while nurses pulled up a tent looking thing preventing us from seeing as they cut into her. An anesthesiologist stood by her head to monitor her, and they stepped aside for me when a nurse sat a chair by her head for me. I nodded to the nurse, and they moved off somewhere as I sat down. Focusing on Everly, I ced my hands on the side of her face, I leaned down, pulling my mask from my face briefly, and kissed her forehead. "I don''t break my promises," I whisper to her when her eyes fly open and her lips quiver. "You made it," she breathes, while staring up at me. "Yes, I made it. Always for you," I tell her while Doc and the nurses hurried around while also exining what they are doing, yet I focused on Everly trusting they know what they are doing. She was my focus. "Vrian?" Everly asked. "Marcus will get him for us," I assured her. "And my father?" "Will be here when he can," I tell her while brushing my thumbs down the sides of her face. "Everly, you may feel some pressure but shouldn''t feel any pain," Doc tells her, and I suck in a breath. Doc exined that the steroids Everly was put on should have helped the baby''s lungs develop, and she was past 33 weeks, so the fact she carried them this long was good. '' Yet we all held our breath when he dered the first baby was out briefly, holding the baby above the curtain so quickly I missed it. Yet Everly stared wide- eyed in panic when they rushed off with the baby. "Why isn''t she crying?" Everly worries when Doc deres baby is out, who instantly starts screaming. Momentster, the first one gave a screech, and I let out a breath, all panic leaving with the breath I hadn''t realized I was holding. "Baby just needed some suctioning to clear the airways" A nurse told us when Doc spoke through what he was doing as he searched for baby number three before she was out, too. At the same time, the nurse came to ce babies one and two in my arms. We heard baby three''s mighty scream as it filled the room. Yet I was amazed and awestruck at the two little bundles in my arms, unable to tear my gaze from the little creatures we created when the nurse brought baby three over bundled up in a hospital nket. Everly coos as she tries to see, and I lean down so she can see better when the nurse ces baby three on her chest for a few moments. All her panic slips away the moment she does, and the bond blooms with love and tenderness. Never in my life had I ever felt soplete. After the nurse checks Everly and they are stitching her up, the nurse awkwardly ced baby three in my arms, and I stared down at our three perfect little girls, and I couldn''t wait for Vrian to meet his little sisters. Chapter 132 Chapter 132 Macey POV I awoke to fingertips brushing up and down my arm. The chill in the air made me inhale deeply as tingles spread up my arm where his fingertips caressed. I pretended to remain asleep when the vibration of a phone ringing beside my head buzzed and vibrated against the wooden cupboard it was sitting on. My mate growls, and where I have beenid dips so I know I was on a bed, the jostling movement as he climbed off made that evident, my eyes flutter open, and I squint, remembering to remain calm and keep my heart rate down as I tried to take in my surroundings. Brown wall paneling covered the walls and was the first thing I noticed in the dimly lit room. The old-fashionedmp with a floral shade made little light in the PO 10 X < room and the smell of burning wood reached my nose, it smelt a little damp making the scent a little too strong, reminded me of pine needles, the crackling sound reaching my ears at the same time his voice did. ¡°What is it, father?¡± Carter asks. At least I knew who he was on the phone to. ¡°Not my problem.I did my part.I am done now.Find your own way into the city to enact your revenge.I want no part of it anymore,¡± he growls into the phone. ¡°I have better things to entertain myself with, but I left half the money in the mining tunnels for you.It should tide you over for a while.¡± Momentary silence has me lifting my head, which was a mistake on my behalf. In my drowsy state, he sounded further away. Turns out he was only a couple meters away and as I turned, I caught his eye. Carter smirks at me, turning away, and I nce around to find I am in some small cabin. ¡°Contact rk, he may help you,¡± Carter tells his father before I hear yelling and my eyes flick to Carter to see him pull the phone from his ear and re at it before he let out a growl. ¡°Well, I told you he was a moron.If he has got himself locked up, what do you expect me to do about it? Figure it out.This is no longer my problem,¡± he snaps back before hanging up. I swallow when I watch him set his phone down ,I quickly wiggle up on the bed to find I am only dressed in my bra and panties.I tug the itchy brown nket higher, and Carter purrs before stepping closer and crawling onto the bed.I watched him. He was a predator, and I refused to be his prey. Bond or not, he was not my Alpha, and I would never be his Luna. Watching him as he moves closer before I turned my head, looking out the window. The ce, I could tell, was somewhere deep in the woods. I could hear the owls and night creatures outside, and I was met with total darkness, my own face reflecting back at me in the window. ¡°Where are we?¡± I ask, turning to look at Carter. ¡°In the woods,¡± he purrs, and I lift my knees, drawing the nket closer. ¡°Yes, but where?¡± I ask him.N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. ¡°My mother¡¯s ce.She built it with the forsaken,¡± he says. ¡°She built this ce?¡± ¡°Yes, they aren¡¯t all crazed.Some held some sense still.Though she was too far gone by the time I found her,¡± Carter tells me. ¡°The rest of the forsaken?¡± I ask. ¡°Dead.I killed them, and those that I didn¡¯t kill, your rogues did in the attack.It is perfectly safe out here,¡± he tells me and I watched him carefully, not liking the sparkle of excitement in his eyes. ¡°Safe enough to bring Taylor here when I go back for her,¡± he says, and I had to fight back a snarl. ¡°I know it isn¡¯t what you expected, but it is only temporary until the heat dies down, and then we will flee the country,¡± he tells me, gripping the nket and tugging it down. ¡°I need to use the bathroom?¡± I tell him abruptly. ¡°There is an outhouse,¡± he says, and I quickly get out of bed. The floorboards creak under my feet, and he watches me.I try to take in my surroundings, yet when I move off the bed, the ng of ¡± chains makes me realize the attachment to my ankle. ¡°Just precautionary, my love.I wasn¡¯t sure how you would wake,¡± he tells me as I stare down at the chain that was also attached to the bed. He climbs off the bed before pulling a key from his pocket.He bent down, undoing the chain attached to the foot of the bed. How did I not notice that before? Seeing it, the weight of it was all I could feel me. Carter grips the chain before pointing at the door.I look at it when he steps behind ¡°I¡¯ll take you,¡± he whispers. ¡°That is unnecessary,¡± I tell him. ¡°The feeling through the bond tells me it is,¡± he whispers before giving me a nudge, and I clench my teeth but move toward the door. ¡°It is an adjustment, one you will used to.One thing about rogues is we adapt,¡± he says as I grip the door. Ain¡¯t that the truth, but I won¡¯t be getting ustomed to this ce. Stepping outside, I am smashed by the harsh coldness of the wind; I rub my arms before spotting the small outhouse; I didn¡¯t really need to use the bathroom or whatever the heck that ice age contraption was but the moment the wind touched me I suddenly needed to pee. The steps creaked as I stepped off the tiny porch, and I could see nothing but darkness and trees showing how utterly alone I truly was out here. The grass was wet from dew, and I wondered what time it was. Kalen woulde for me.I know he won¡¯t abandon me out here, or he will alert Everly and Valen. They would be wondering where I am by now. They had to be. ¡°Ava?¡± I ask. ¡°I left her at the train station.I haven¡¯t heard any reports on what happened to her.My ns didn¡¯t go as nned in the city, and my men were arrested,¡± Carter tells me with a growl as I make my way to the outhouse. The door creaks as I open it, and I frown.I would rather piss in the woods or my ruin my panties. It seemed more hygienic than this shit box; it was quite literally a box or trough to shit in. ¡°Door stays open,¡± Carter says, gripping the swinging door before it could shut. ¡°Where exactly do you expect me to go when you are holding the chain you shackled me with?¡± I ask, trying to keep the anger from my tone. He huffs and clicks his tongue. ¡°Good point,¡± he says, letting the door swing closed. I am plunged into darkness X 4000 and roll my eyes before letting out a breath and pushing the door open.I sure as shit didn¡¯t want to fall into the damn thing, and there was no light. Carter gives me a crooked smile. ¡°There is no light,¡± I tell him, and he holds the door open. ¡°Yeah, I never rigged the sr panels on that thing.I hardly stayed out here long enough to warrant using it,¡± he tells me when I notice the sr panels on the cabin. We appeared to be on some huge mountain, yet in the darkness, I could see nothing and the wind up here whistled and howled between the trees. ¡°Don¡¯t fall in.The only bath you¡¯ll find here is the stream,¡± heughs, and I look down at the makeshift toilet. ¡°Can you at least turn away?¡± I ask him, and he does, keeping one hand on the door, the chain held in the other. I squat over the damn thing and quickly pee, not wanting to touch it in case my ass developed tinea or gave me tetanus. ¡°Are you done?¡± he asks when I pull my panties up. ¡°Or do you want to suss out the woods a little so you know you can¡¯t escape?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take your word for it,¡± I tell him as I step out, letting the door swing shut. I followed him back to the cabin, wondering how far out of the city we were because I could see no lights, and I briefly wondered if Kalen and John¡¯s tracker I swallowed had a maximum distance. Stepping inside the cabin, the air was a little warmer thanks to the firece. Carter moved toward the bed and locked the chain around the foot of the bed.I sit on the edge watching as he undresses, removing his shirt and moving toward the small kitchte in only his jeans. ¡°Are you hungry?¡± he asked, and I nodded, watching him and looking around the small space. A round table sat off to the side; some stumps were for chairs. A bearskin rug sat on the floor beside the firece, and above it was a set of huge antlers. It reminded me a little of a hunter¡¯s cabin. There were even a few taxidermy pieces. One was an owl. ¡°You hunt?¡± I ask him, wondering if there were any guns kept here. He shrugs, not bothering to answer as he grabbed a steel camping kettle and filled it with bottled water from a box on the floor.He sets it on a hook inside the firece. ¡°How did we get here?I didn¡¯t see your car or the road.¡± I asked him. ¡°I carried you.I had this ce set up already.I was never staying in the city,¡± he tells me. ¡°So you didn¡¯t want to take over the city?¡°I ask him. ¡°No, that was my father¡¯s n.I have no future there, and he won¡¯t forgive me for killing my sister.We tolerate each other nothing more and nothing less.¡± he states. ¡°You killed her?¡± I asked, a little shocked. ¡°I put her out of her misery.That is no life for anyone.Lying in a bed covered in bedsores, being pumped full of drugs, and a tube breathing for you is cruelty, not a life.My father would have let her rot like that, so yes, I killed her,¡± he says while stoking the fire. ¡°I have packet noodles, not much fresh stuff, mostly canned food.It isn¡¯t much, but I will get more supplies tomorrow, or I can go hunt something if you like?¡± he says. I shake my head. ¡°No, noodles are fine,¡± I tell him when he hands me the water bottle, and I gulp the liquid down rather thirsty. Craning my neck back, I hiss and choke a little at the stinging sensation in my neck from his mark. My hand went to it when he was suddenly in front of me. I flinched at his fast movement, not expecting it, and his hand was sweeping mine away as he gripped my chin, turning my head away to examine it. ¡°It¡¯s just my venom.It will probably be a little tender,¡± he says, dipping his head before I feel his breath sweep over my skin, making it tingle before he runs his tongue over it, making my entire body shudder as the bond red to life. He chuckles, pulling back. ¡°I was afraid the bond wouldn¡¯t have the same effects, but I am d it does. ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked. My neck was now burning fiercely developing its own pulsing throb. ¡°You didn¡¯t hear the rumors?¡± he asks, moving back to the fire: he grabs a tea moving back to the fire; he grabs a tea towel and pulls the camping kettle from the fire. ¡°I was bitten years ago by my mother and attacked by the other forsaken, nearly killing me.My father spent years getting me treatment to lessen the effects.It prevented me from bing crazed like the others, but I developed the venom nds still.I wasn¡¯t sure if marking you would kill you, though I am d to see the marking gives you some form of immunity,¡± Carter tells me. Yet what does that mean when we kill him? Assuming Kalen and John can actually find me out here. ¡°How far are we from the city?¡± I ask changing the subject. ¡°Four hours, roughly,¡± Carter tells me, pouring the hot water into a saucepan and dropping the dried noodles in it. I try not to let that bother me. Information is vital and right now I need to bido my vital, and right now, I need to bide my time.I just hoped that tracker, would lead them to me. Chapter 133 Chapter 133 Zoe POV I had been waiting with Marcus at Everly''s ce for hours since Marcus brought me here after getting the kids from school, yet Macey still hadn''t returned home and I was beginning to worry, she hated leaving me alone and always stuck to her times, one thing about Macey was she was never tardy and her not being here when she said she would be only added to my anxiety. Marcus pecks my temple as he passes me where I was cutting up vegetables.We were making the kids dinner when Taylor came over, looking out of ce without her mother. I felt out ce without her or Everly here. "Can you try mum again?" she asks, pulling a stool from the counter and climbing up on it. I nced at Marcus, who chewed his lip before I smile and nod to her. "Of course, sweety," I tell her, about to retrieve m y phone when Marcus slides his to me. "Have you notified Valen?" I mind linked him, and I see him nod out of the corner of my eyes as I dial her number. "Any word from Kalen?" I asked him via the mind link, making sure Taylor didn''t overhear our conversation. The worry on her face told me she knew something was amiss. Her mother would rarely leave her unless she was with us, but she had said nothing of the sort to Taylor or any of us that she would be runningte, and her phone goes straight to voicemail which I know she would have had on full charge. "She might have got caught up with work," I tell Taylor, trying to reassure her. Taylor nods sadly, going back off to Vrian and Casey, who were drawing happily at the table and discussing baby potential baby names. Everly and Valen were still in the hospital, and I know Valen rang earlier to say he was going to collect Vrian after dinner to bring him to meet his sisters and mother. Yet Valen said his father was unreachable too, and none of us had heard from John either, making me believe they couldn''t be in the city or they would be able to be reached via mind link, but all we got was radio silence when we tried their pack tethers, so they were too far to be reached. Opening the mind link, I tug on Valen''s tether ABm# _jKL he opens it straight away. "How is Eve?" I ask him. "Good.She is trying to breastfeed.One baby has a tongue-tie," he tells me. "Any news from your father?" I ask him. "No, something is going on, and I can''t reach John either, but he seems close.I can feel his tether, it came back about 20 minutes ago," "Everly, can''t contact him?" "No, and I am not adding extra stress to her by asking her.I know if she finds out, she will go looking for Macey, and Doc said she can''t shift for at least a week¡± "Okay, well¡ª" Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. My words cut off when I hear Vrian shriek. ¡°Pop, pop!" he calls, rushing toward the hall when I get a whiff of John''s scent. "Hang on.John is here.I will speak to you in a second," I tell Valen "Thank god, ask him where my father is," Valen says quickly. "Yep, will do," I tell him before cutting the link. I move around the counter toward the hall when Vrian suddenly backs up, his head turns to me and a frightened expression moves across his face and I freeze in my tracks when I see John carrying Ava in the doors. "Ava?" I gasp, rushing over to help him, and I start ripping toys and the kids'' nket from the couch so h e can set her down. Marcus raced over, and I was too shocked to get my bearings, yet the relief I felt upon seeing her nearly made me sob as John set her down before looking at us. Marcus races off, returning and bringing back a bottle of water and handing it to Ava. "My old Pack doctor is on his way to check her over.Zoe, you need to watch Ava for me," he says, and I look up at him from where I am crouched beside Ava, helping her hold the bottle between her lips when John turns his attention to Marcus. "And you areing with me." Marcus stared at him when I saw his eyes ze over as John spoke to him through the mind link. Ignoring them, I trusted Marcus to keep me in the loop; right now, Ava needed me and I had to calm the kids down. "Aunty Ava?" Vrian whispers and crushes her in a hug. "I¡¯m alright, I got lost," she tells him, not realizing the kids knew or had some understanding of what had been going on. Her hand weakly gripped my arms when Vrian let her go, tears welling in her eyes before they went to the kids, who stood horrified; Vrian was crying and I see John rub his back and give him a kiss on the head. "You''re okay," she chokes. "I''m alive," I tell her. I was far from okay, but I would be one day.I had my vige, and our vige was family. "Go get Aunty Ava a pillow and some nkets," John tells Vrian, who runs off to get them. Ava smiles sadly when I feel the mind link open up. "What''s going on?" I ask Marcus. "I need to help John and Kalen," he says, and I watch a s John and Marcus leave the room and head up the hall. "Where are you going?" I ask him. "To find Macey," Marcus tells me, and I gasp, looking at Taylor over my shoulder. "What do you mean?" I ask him but he doesn¡¯t reply and I stand up when hees back out pulling on a jacket and his boots. "Where is Macey, Marcus?" I growl through the mind link, and he lifts his head, looking at me.I go to open my mouth and demand he tell me when Marcus points to Taylor behind me and I close my mouth while trying not to panic and scare her daughter. "Marcus?" I ask him and his eyes ze over. Marcus didn''t answer right away, and the silence made the skin on the back of my neck prickle, and my entire body broke out in goosebumps as every fiber of my being told me something was seriously wrong. "Carter has her," Marcus tells me, and I feel my legs wobble as I try to make sense of his words. Tears - pricked my eyes and Marcus came over and kissed my cheek. Why would Carter have her? "I''ll bring her home," he whispers, and I nodded, my head before watching Johne out in a change of clothes, he stops at the hall. "Marcus?" John calls. "Yep," Marcus says before Casey rushes over to him with her arms up, he bends down scooping her up. "Where are you going, dad? Can Ie?" she asks. "Not this time, I¡¯ll be back soon," he says pecking her cheek, and setting her down before following John out while I stared in shock, trying to figure out what i s going on and how everything be so out of hand when Casey came over and climbed in myp. "Where is he going, mum?" Casey asks me. "To work, he¡¯ll be back soon," Ava tells her while worry gnawed at me. Chapter 134 Chapter 134 John POV "Where are we going?" Marcus asks me, and I nce over at him as I pull out of the garage and onto the street. We were going to meet Kalen outside the city. "To meet up with Kalen," I tell Marcus. "I just don''t get why Carter would take Macey.We should be telling Valen.He will find out, and he won''t be happy we kept this from him," Marcus tells me, and I chewed the inside of my lip. Everly had enough on her te, and I didn''t want to ruin what would should be a joyous moment for her and Valen with this news. Kalen believed the same thing and didn''t want to taint the day even more for them at this time.We could handle this, assuming Kalen was able to pick up her location. That was the concerning part.We had lost her, and her phone was switched off, so we couldn''t even track it with the cell towers. "John, either you tell me what is going on, orl am contacting Valen," Marcus snarls at me, and I turn the radio down as we leave the city limits. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. "Carter is Macey''s mate.She bargained herself to get Ava back.We were supposed to ambush him, but then the council interfered, as you know, and ruined our ns.We thought we had it under control." I tell him. "Wait, what? And you kept this from us? From the pack?" he yells, and I re out the windscreen. "Yes, because Macey asked us too! Think about it, Marcus.Think about what I just said," I snap back at him. Marcus falls quiet before he gasps, my words finally sinking in. "Everly and Zoe wouldn''t have allowed us to kill him, " he murmurs, looking at me, and I nod. Macey knew that, and she was right. "Did Macey ask you to keep this from them?" Marcus asks, and I nod again. "Fuck! So what now?" he asks with a growl. "We find Macey and Carter and...." "You kill him, and it will kill Macey! We have to figure out something else.Everly will never forgive either of you for this," Marcus says, sitting back in his chair and clutching his hair. "And you will keep it to yourself. Valen will tell Everly," Marcus growls at me. "And he should!" Marcus snaps, and I re at him before pressing my lips in a line. "I asked for your help, not your judgment! Either keep quiet, or I will leave you on the side of the road," I tell him. Marcus curses and shakes his head. "So, where are we headed?" "To meet Kalen.We put a tracker on Macey, but we lost the signal.Kalen said you''re good with tech.We need you to up the frequency, expand it," I tell him, pulling into a service station just outside the city limits. I jump out, popping the cap and filling the car up. "What sort of tracker is it?" Marcus asks, climbing out of the car when I see his eyes ze over. I keep filling the car up, knowing he is being mind linked when he sighs. ncing at him, I see him shake his head. "Zoe?" I ask him, and he nods, scratching the back of his neck and ncing around. "Yeah, she wants to know what is going on," he tells me. "What did you tell her?" "The same thing that I am helping you, that we are looking for Carter, but she is suspicious.She knows Macey would never leave Taylor for one or not answer her calls.She also doesn''t understand why Carter would take her," Marcus says when the pump clicks, telling me the tank is full. "And you won''t tell her. She hasn''t contacted Valen or Everly?" I ask him, and he growls, not happy about lying to his mate. "No, she said she would wait until I know what is going on," Marcus tells me, and I let out a breath of relief. Thest thing we needed was Everly out here looking for Macey after having a C-Section. "Exins why she had us sign all those documents. I can''t believe this.We need to find her! Ie back without her.Zoe will fucking kill me." "We will.And Zoe won''t.Besides, you''re her mate," I tell him, and heughs. "I diot.There is a reason Macey didn''t tell them.She knew their reaction and that Zoe and Everly wouldn''t allow it.She knew Zoe would sacrifice her own mental health by allowing him to live so she could.Those girls are a package deal, John.Their bond outweighs any mate bond," Marcus tells me and I nod, going int o pay for the fuel. I swallow. He is right. I couldn''t return home to my daughters without Macy.I owed them both this much.I owed my ire to fix what I broke, owed her for destroying our family and her. Something I would live with for the rest of my life, but I would not live with knowing I destroyed Everly more.I Macey wasn''t just a rogue friend. She was as much a sister to my daughter as Ava was. Therefore, she was mine, too. And I won''t make the same mistakes of the past.I protect what''s mine, and if that means bringing Macey home, I owe them, girls, that much. Walking out, the weight of the situation weighed heavily on me. We couldn''t fail.I had to bring her home to her daughter, to mine. Starting my car, I pull onto the old highway heading for the old power station where we were meeting up with Kalen. "If we can''t pick up her location by the end of the weekend, we tell Valen, just give them the weekend.They don''t need this stress right now." "No, you have 24 hours, or I am going to Valen with this.I can hold Zoe off for a day or so, but after that, she will go to Everly." Marcus says, and I suckina breath before nodding. Kalen would be angry, but it was looking like we had no choice. We needed to find Macey and needed to bring her home. Macey didn''t have to fight for me and save me in the forsaken attack, yet she did. I owe her my life, and I willy it down for her if needed, just like I would give myst breath if it meant bringing my ire back. Now we just needed to find her. Chapter 135 Chapter 135 Macey POV The following morning, I woke to a pinch in my neck.I had hardly slept all night as I fought the urge, yet m y attempts to stay awake were unsessful, exhaustion eventually taking me. "shh, my love, it is just a sedative," Carter murmured as he pulled the syringe from my neck. My fingertips touched the spot.He had handcuffed me to him during the night. I had tried to shift out of my restraints, yet he pounced on me before I even made i t a step from the bed. Which earned me the handcuffs for my efforts.He had also drugged me the moment h e wrestled me back into the restraints. I had cursed myself all night.I should have held out longer, earned his trust. All night I had stared at the ceilingpletely paralyzed. Panic coursed through me as he stabbed me again, this time. "It¡¯s just precaution.This won¡¯t paralyze youpletely, just stop you from shifting mostly and is more of a muscle rxant.My father¡¯s invention, shitty man, but a smart one," he says. There was so much I could say about his father¡¯s intelligence, orck thereof. Yet I held my tongue. Carter waited for the drug to start taking effect, watching me as he got changed as my limbs became heavy, yet I still had feeling in them. He sets a bucket by the bed and my brows furrow. "In case you need to use the bathroom.It should start to wear off just before I get back," he says. I growled a t him, disgusted that he would even think I would use it.If that fucker thinks I am using that, he is surely mistaken.I would rather shit my pants and watch him clean me with no working water here. Pay back for keeping me locked up like a dog. "I know it isn¡¯t ideal, but just in case.I won¡¯t be long." My tongue feels thick in my mouth, soI smile a t him, cursing him to the goddess. He leans over the bed as if he sees nothing wrong with the entire scenario and pecks my lips. I hate how the bond reacts to his affections. The goddess really fucked up when she created us. No matter how vile and despicable our mates are, our bonds flourished got excited from any form of attention. All I know is when I meet her in the afterlife, I have few choice words for her about this entire mate bond bullshit. One thing I have always been envious about with humans. They seriously have no idea how lucky they are to be able to choose their own destiny and who they allow in it. Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. But no! We shun them and are punished with death unless you''re an Alpha and pack tethered. What a crock of shit that is. You really fucked that up, Moon Goddess! Shouldn¡¯t the goddess be a feminist? She is a woman, after all! "I won¡¯t be long.There is a town about an hour away, so try to rest because tonight weplete the mate bond," he tells me, brushing his knuckles down my cheek. I turn my head away from him and he growls. "We willplete the mate bond, Macey.I would prefer if you willingly ept that, but if not I will make you submit," he says, and I turn back to look at him. He growls at me, forcing his aura out to show he is perfectly capable of what he threatened. "Choose wisely Macey, sometimes it is better to give in," he says before walking out. Yep, well, he just solidified it now. If I can¡¯t find a way out of these restraints, I am shitting myself. Let¡¯s see how willing he is then! ; Whatever he gave me worked pretty quickly. I found even lifting my head difficult, yet I could move, so that was something as I rolled off the bed and hit the floor with a hard thump and I groaned. The floor was harder than it looked, or maybe it was because I felt like dead weight. Yet once on the ground, I tried to sit up, managing to prop myself up against the bedside table. Man, I felt so heavy and my body tingled like it had pins and needles.I nced around the room, yet even I knew it was pointless. There was nothing here that would break the thick chain, and then what? Should I try to roll my way out of here or army crawl? I would be lucky to make it off the porch.I stare at the stic bucket before growling and smacking it with my hand. The bucket skidded across the floor by the fire and that took way too much effort for such a small movement. Minutes passed as I looked around the room before resting my head back on the bedside table, the angle making me stare off at the ceiling and firece. My mind wanders to Taylor wondering what she is doing, gosh I missed her. Wondering what she had for breakfast, wondering whether it was Everly or Zoe who tucked her inst night and kissed her forehead. Time slipped by as I stared at the roof when my eyes moved to the huge antlers above the firece. I wondered what they were off and if the poor creature suffered.I was running out of time and he would be back soon and I was no closer to escaping and I had n o idea Kalen and John were looking for me. The girls would be questioning my absence. They know I would never leave Taylor. I just need to hold out a little longer, I thought to myself when Carter¡¯s words came back to me about having to mate with him. My entire body shuddered with revulsion. A tear slipped down my cheek. I wanted to go home, back to my daughter and back to my idiot boyfriend who thinks I don¡¯t want him because he had a bad leg. Fool of a man, what use is his leg to me? I didn¡¯t care for his leg, only his damn heart. Yet for some reason, my eyes kept going back to those hideous antlers. I blink, my sensesing to me after my little pity party. Chewing my lip, I wondered how much time I wasted being a sook. How much longer did I have left? I wasn''t sure, but I had to try. So, with every bit of strength I had, I pulled myself to my feet. My legs were feeling a little better though the pins and needles feeling made each step agony, my muscles locking up, not wanting to cooperate. I stagger to the firece, gripping the mantle to hold myself up.I reach one arm up and tug on the antlers, trying to unhook the damn thing from the wall. When I managed it, I wasn¡¯t expecting the weight, and it crashed to the ground with a loud a bang.I copse o n the ground, the exertion far too much. Yet now I got it down. How will I get it back up there? I was getting more movement, but nowhere near fast enough. Shaking my head, I decided to figure out thatter. For now, I needed to break a piece off. This ce had n o knives, not even a damn spoon. It was terrible eating noodles with my fingersst night. Gritting my teeth, I use the firece to help stand before grabbing one side of the antlers and stomping the end, trying to break one of the spikes off. What felt like foreverter, I managed to break off a chunk about the length from my elbow to wrist. Now to get it back up there, I nced up at the tiny hook. As long as he didn¡¯t look too hard at it he wouldn¡¯t notice I broke a piece off. Yet getting it back on the hook was another mission that left me staggering back to the bed covered in sweat. I stare at the piece of the antler. It was pretty blunt, so I definitely could brandish it as a weapon in this state.I would never get enough force behind it while sedated. Yet it was something, and something was better than nothing, so I tucked it down between the mattress and the headboard. And just in time because it was only roughly ten minutester that I heard noise from outside. I held my breath as the door creaked open. Carter steps in with a backpack over one shoulder. He toes off his shoes, stepping out of them and leaving them at the door. "Did you rest?" he asks as he walks through the cabin to the small kitchen. He sets some stuff down before rummaging through the bags. "I need to use the luxury bathroom we have here," I tell him, and he nces over his shoulder at me. "I see you are still in a mood," he states, and I look away. "How about we go to the stream where you can bathe before the sun goes down? I bought toiletries," he says. "Sounds splendid," I drawl. "Tone Macey or I will wash your mouth out with soap, so don¡¯t tempt me.I am being nice.I don¡¯t have to be," he growls, and I swallow nervously. He was right. I had to keep the bitch from my tone. It would d o me no favors here. Chapter 136 Chapter 136 "I¡¯m sorry," I tell him, yet those words tasted like poison on my tongue. He smirks before turning back t o rummage through the backpack.He pulls out a silkie slip dress.He tosses it at me and itnds on the bed. I pick it up, holding it up. Hardly practical, but better than a bra and underwear. "Don¡¯t suppose you bought underwear?" I ask him. "You don¡¯t need them," he says and I chew my lip. I suddenly wished I had a period. I bet he would change his tune then. Carteres over to me and passes me a muesli bar. I tried to unwrap it, however, my fingers were not cooperating properly, yet I had a good chunk of my mobility left, though I was a little worried about trekking in the woods like this. Carter takes it from m e and opens it, peeling back the wrapper before handing it back to me. "You should have all your feeling back soon," he tells me as he kneels next to the bed. He pulls my legs to the edge of the bed, rubbing the sides of them before gripping my ankle.He takes the key from around his neck and undoes the padlock before rubbing my ankle. I watch him. If only he wasn¡¯t a psycho, I could get used to the tingles from the mate bond, the way my heart raced when he was close, his intoxicating scent. If only he wasn¡¯t responsible for destroying so many lives, I may havee to love him, yet the bond yearned and called out for him despite my mind knowing I couldn¡¯t keep him. But that didn¡¯t stop me wishing things were different, so I could. "Can you wiggle your toes?" he asks and I try. They move to his satisfaction, and he smiles before leaning down and kissing the top of my foot. "I can carry you.It isn¡¯t far," he tells me, cing my foot down before walking over and grabbing the backpack. He ces two towels in it and the bag of toiletries before tossing it over his shoulder.He then scoops me up and heads for the door. Carter was right, it wasn¡¯t far, yet the moment he set me down, he rummaged through the bag and produced the handcuffs. I didn''t see him slip in the bag.I growl fold my arms. "Macey!" he snaps and I re daggers at him. Carter sighs and nces around at the river that flowed slowly. "Macey, give me your hand," "I won¡¯t run, you would catch me if I did," I tell him and he seems to think for a second. I lean forward and grab the bag at his feet and rummage through it grabbing out a bar of soap. And some shampoo. Carter sighs loudly above me before crouching down next to the bag. "You hold my hand then and I won¡¯t cuff you," he says. "Deal?" he says. At least I won''t be handcuffed, so I nod my head. Carter starts removing his clothes and I can¡¯t help but admire his toned body, at least until he removes his pants and I know he ns on using that thing between his legs on me, which makes me look away. He offers me his hand, yet I don¡¯t remove my bra and underwear. Carter leads me to the river before walking into the water. I followed when he sat down. The water wasn¡¯t that deep and even sitting only came up to his chest. I sit next to him, my hand still in his when he pulls me in hisp. Instead of bing angry and trying to shove him away, I allow it; hoping to gain a little trust. Thest thing I want is to be drugged while he has his way with me. Carter takes the shampoo that was tucked in under my arm. "Since I am sitting on you can I at least have my hand back?" "Will you run?" I shake my head and he lets my hand go. I startthering my skin with the soap when Carter grips my hair and turns me sideways on hisp. "Dip your head back." he says softly and I do, letting him wet it. He turns me back before pouring the shampoo in his hand and setting the bottle between m y thighs.He washes my hair and rinses it out while I sat there awkwardly. "I won¡¯t hurt you Macey, rx," he says. Wouldn¡¯t hurt me, but making me submit doesn¡¯t fall into that category? Yet when he unsped my bra.I growl at him, clutching the front and losing the soap. "Almost lost it," Carter says, producing the soap I dropped. He tugs on my arm, covering myself. "You have nothing to be shy about," he says, and I fight the urge to tell him to go fuck himself. Carter tosses m y bra to the grass beside the river and before insisting on washing me. Despite me not wanting him to, I had to admit I loved the feel of his hands on my body. The bond makes his touch pleasurable, sensual, yet Ido my best to ignore it. All too soon, though, we headed back to the cabin. Carter let me walk yet kept a strong grip on my hand as if he thought I would run. Though I knew that would be a stupid thing on my part. "I have a surprise for you," he says, tucking me under his arm as we climb thest incline to the cabin. The sun was going down now, and I looked out above all the trees, no one would hear me scream, no one would know I was out here if he killed me, and no ce to run to and I wasn¡¯t even sure where I was. Carter leads me back inside before chaining me back t o the damn bed.I move to the front of the firece, trying to warm up. The temperature had significantly dropped and this thin night dress was hardly warm. Carter, noticing me shivering, grabs the nket from the bed, draping it over me before going to the kitchen. He returns with a block of chocte.I blink at him, yep chocte will really take my mind off being kidnapped, held against my will, marked and all the other shit he has done. "Thanks," I tell him, trying to muster as much excitement as possible. Yet he chuffs before going to cook dinner. Tonight''s dinner consisted of Irish stew i n the can, though it tasted better than the noodles and was more filling. Yet as darkness swallowed the ¡®I ce, my nervousness amped up to magnitude levels and I could see he was getting impatient with my excuses of saying I was warmer by the fire or the constant I need to pee. He even went so far as not allowing me water after the third time of iming I needed to pee. "Macey," Carter says, patting the bed. I open my mouth. "I know you¡¯re stalling and I know you don¡¯t need to pee, or go for a walk, and it isn¡¯t cold in here," he pats the bed and I look back at the fire, earning a growl from him. "One," he snarls, and I look at him. "My patience is running very thin Macey," he growls and I feel his aura slip out, the hair on my body stands on end, yet I wasn¡¯tpletely defenseless against it now he had marked me. Nevertheless, it still hurts like a bitch. "Two," he growls, forcing the crushing pain down on me. I grit my teeth, trying to feel for my own nonexistent aura to try to push back against him when he pummels me with his aura, making me scream and double over. Sweat coats my skin and I re at him. "Your choice, Macey, get here or find out what happens next, but it won¡¯t be pleasant.You will submit to me.You have been rogue for too long and are no match for me yet," he snaps, and his eyes flicker to the monster that lives inside him. Carter growls and goes to get up when I raise my hand. "Fine, fine," I tell him, and he drops his aura while I catch my breath. Yet I climbed to my feet, walking over to the bed. The entire time he watched me as if h e was getting ready to strike the moment I made a move wrong. The moment I am close enough, he reaches over and rips me onto the bed. "See wasn¡¯t so hard," he purrs before kissing me. His kiss is gentle, his touch is gentle, yet my skin crawled and he growled. I could feel his frustration through the bond. "Why are you being difficult? We are mates Macey, it i s inevitable," he purrs, nipping at my chin and working his way to my mark. He sucks on it and tingles flood my body and an involuntary moan escapes my lips. "I know you hate me, but we can get past that,"he says. "I can¡¯t have kids," I blurted. I don¡¯t know why I blurted it, maybe hoping he would run like every other man, yet all he does is look down at me. "I¡¯m aware, and I don¡¯t care.You are my mate," "You don¡¯t care that I can¡¯t give you an heir?" I asked, a little shocked. "No.And we will have Taylor once my father finds a way back into the city to retrieve her for us," he says, dipping his head down to capture my lips. Yet his words made me have to fight to block the bond. All I could think was his father was going to take my daughter. Over my dead body, he would touch my daughter. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Carter, not realizing I had shut down at his words, continued tasting my skin while all I did was stare. My mind was all over the ce. Until I felt him slide the dress up over my hips, snapping me out of my troubled thoughts.I grip his hands and he growls, but I push on his shoulder. He looks at my hand on his shoulder and I suck in a breath and push him to roll onto his back.He reluctantly does, though it was clear he didn¡¯t trust me.He leans against the headboard. "What are you ying at?" he asks, and I figured he would find my abrupt change of mind suspicious. "You¡¯re right, it is inevitable. But that doesn¡¯t mean it has to be unpleasant, right?" I ask before climbing between his legs. He watches me as I reach for the waistband of his pants. Chapter 137 Chapter 137 Valen POV I had Zoe drop Vrian to the hospital. I smile when I see her car pull into the parking lot. While she parks the car, I make my way over to her before opening the back door. Unclipping his seatbelt, he hops out of the car excitedly, wanting to see his sisters. He brought the plushies he helped pick out with him. Yet as I nced in the car, Taylor and Casey were both in their car seats which I thought was a little odd. It was prettyte at night. ¡°Where are Marcus and Macey? Also, have you heard from my father?¡± I ask Zoe, who chews her lip nervously. Zoe nces in the back at the girls before climbing out of the car and ushering me to the rear of the vehicle. Vrian climbs up onto the hood of the car and waits for me while clutching the blue and green plushies; Zoe nces at him as if to make sure he is out of earshot. ¡°John returned home with Ava,¡± Zoe whispers, and I blink at her dumbfounded because nobody told me Ava was found or handed back. Why had no one told me? This was good news, assuming she was alright, and Everly would be relieved knowing her sister was okay. ¡°What do you mean? Is she okay?¡± ¡°She is fine. She was a little dehydrated. John had his old pack doctor check her over.¡± Zoe tells me. ¡°And no one thought to tell me?¡± I whisper, yell. ¡°No, because your father and John didn¡¯t want to ruin your first night with your babies. But there is more. Macey cut a deal with Carter; she swapped ces with Ava.¡± My brows furrow at this information. Why would she swap ces with her? It made no sense. And what would Carter want with Macey? I go to open my mouth to say something when Zoe speaks first. ¡°John and Marcus went to help your father look for her. That is why you can¡¯t get a hold of anyone. They told me not to tell you.¡± ¡°I will send men out to help them search.Whereabouts in the city are they looking for her? I can send scouts out to help.¡± ¡°I am not supposed to tell you, but Macey isn¡¯t in the city. They have a tracker on her; Marcus rang me just before you did. They picked up a signal, but it is weak not giving them an exact location,¡± Zoe tells me, and I curse, shaking my head. ¡°Just go take Vrian in to see his sisters and tell Everly her sister is fine. As soon as I know what is going on, I will let you know. I told Marcus he should ring you.¡± I growl, knowing they were doing this behind my back. ¡°Please do, because apparently, no one thought to inform me!¡± I snap, and she cringes. ¡°They didn¡¯t want to ruin yours and Everly¡¯s day,¡± ¡°It has been nearly forty-eight hours since they were born. Someone should have bloody told me by now! Get hold of Marcus and get him to bloody ring me! He has been ignoring my calls.¡± I snap at her, and she nods her head before climbing back into the car. My head was all over the ce. They didn¡¯t tell me, and now they are god knows where and could be walking into an ambush for all they know. But it exins the silence through the pack link and why everyone was ignoring my calls. Even Everly had been worried because she was expecting her father and mine to be here by now. Especially with how excited they were. ¡°Is everything okay, dad?¡± Vrian asks as he rushes over to grab my hand. ¡°Everything is fine. Are you excited about meeting your sisters?¡± I ask him. ¡°Yes, and mum. I don¡¯t like being away from mum. I brought the plushies.¡± he says, showing me. ¡°The girls will love them,¡± I tell him, giving his hand a squeeze before we navigate our way to the maternity ward. As we got closer, I could hear them crying, and I picked up my pace. Everly still couldn¡¯t shift to heal for a few more days and struggled with moving much. Opening the door, she beamed when sheid eyes on Vrian. He rushed toward her excitedly, where she was trying to get one baby totch. While the other cried in the bass, another was lying between her thighs asleep, having just been fed. ¡°Can you grab her?¡± She nods toward the bass, and I wander over, plucking her bundled-up little form out of the crib. All three babies inherited my gic mutation. All three girls had amber eyes and dark hair. We still hadn¡¯t picked out names yet, though I had an idea for one name but was yet to run it by Everly. So, for now, they were still babies A, B, and C. Moving to the chair beside the bed, I rocked baby B in my arms while Vrian dragged a chair over to the bed on the other side of Everly so he could kneel on it next to the bed. He ces his hands on the side of the bed, peering at baby A sleeping on her legs, sucking on her fingers. ¡°They are so small,¡± Vrian whispers, stroking Baby C¡¯s foot while Everly attempted to breastfeed, which she found harder with three babies and no supply. We had been supplementing with form, yet she was still determined to try to give them as much breast milk as possible. ¡°Are you being good for Aunty Zoe, Aunty Macey, and Pop?¡± Everly asks Vrian, sweeping his hair from his face. I needed to cut it, it was getting too long, and he had beenining his hair was messy. Zoe had tried to cut it for him, but he refused to let her touch itst night. Vrian looks at me. I swear that boy was too smart for his own good. The look he gave me was far too knowledgeable for a boy at age wait to see if he mentions Macey being gone. ¡°Yep! Pop brought Aunty Ava home,¡± he says before showing the baby the dinosaur plushie. Everly¡¯s head whips to the side to look at me. ¡°Ava is back?¡± she stammers the words out, and I nod. ¡°Carter gave her back. But we will talkter when Vrian isn¡¯t listening,¡± I tell her. Her eyes well with tears, and she swallows but nods her head, turning her attention back to Vrian and the girls. ¡°Can I hold one?¡± Vrian asks excitedly, reaching for the baby on her legs. ¡°Wait! Wait, you need to be careful. Come here,¡± I tell him, and he climbs down off the chair and rushes over as I stand holding baby B in my arms. ¡°Sit in the chair, and I will help you hold her,¡± I tell him. Vrian does, holding his arms out. I hold her, cing her in his arms but keeping a firm grip under her bundled butt and head in case he drops his arms. Vrian looks down at her in awe and sniffs her little head. ¡°She smells like mum,¡± he says before kissing her little head. The baby squirms in my hands and opens her eyes, and Vrian gasps. ¡°She has our eyes, dad!¡± he squeals, inspecting them before smiling brightly. ¡°They all do,¡± I tell him, leaning closer to kiss his head. Vrian ys with her tiny fingers before he leans down, kissing her nose. I kneel, my back hurting from the hard blue hospital chairs while holding her while Vrian coos and making babbling noises when my phone starts to ring in my pocket. The vibration makes me stand, and Vrian pouts when I take his sister away, setting her in the bass. ¡°Go sit with mum; I will be back in a minute,¡± I tell him, and he does while I pull my phone from my pocket. Everly shuffles over carefully, and he climbs up next to her with my help. Once I see all the kids and my mate are secure, I walk out of the room because it was Marcus calling me when I saw the screen. Shutting the door behind me, I quickly answer it. ¡± Forget to tell me something?¡± I snapped at him. ¡°I know. I know. You can kill meter. We need your help,¡± Marcus says, and I growl at him through the phone. ¡°Did you find her?¡± ¡°We think so. We have an approximate area. But the search area is too big. We need men out here. And we are in the forsaken territory. It would be good to have someone who has immunity besides your father out here to go in first,¡± Marcus tells me. Fuck, my father and I both had some strange immunity to forsaken bites from the mutation handed down, which I kind of hope is handed down to our children. Few people knew about it, and it wasn¡¯t something that we publicized, though, after the forsaken attack, they probably figured that with how many bites we both had with not getting sick. Alpha¡¯s had a little more immunity to the venom. However, their bites had no effect on me and my father at all besides a burning sensation. ¡°Send me the coordinates, and I will send scouts and warriors out. I¡¯m on my way,¡± I tell him, hanging up. Walking back into the room, Everly was already staring at the door, and I knew she would have been straining to listen, which was why I shut the door. I could feel her curiosity while I was on the phone. ¡°What is going on?¡± she asks through the mindlink while ncing down at Vrian, and I knew she could feel my worry and anger through the bond. I should be out there with my men. ¡°Carter has Macey,¡± I tell him, and she purses her lips. The look of fury on her face was as angry as I felt. ¡°So, why are you still standing there?¡± She replies, and I smirk before moving toward the bed. I lean over Vrian and peck her lips. ¡°Come on, Vrian, I need to drop you home.¡± I tell him, and his lip quivers, not wanting to leave his mother and sisters. I hated to be the one to break his heart. ¡°He is fine here. You can help me with your sisters, right?¡± Everly asks him, and he nods excitedly. ¡°I want to stay. I can look after mum,¡± he smiles. ¡°You should tell Tatum.¡± she mind links, and I knew she was right. Tatum had managed to use his crutches earlier and walked down to see us. I think he thought he would find Macey here because he looked pretty disappointed when he asked where she was, and I had no answer for him. He had stayed for an hour or so and said he wanted to apologize to her and that he didn¡¯t mean what he said. I got it; he felt useless not being able to walk properly and didn¡¯t want to be a burden on her. The nurses scolded him for walking down because he had an infection in his leg that required extra surgery to clean it out. The nurses forced him back to his room. ¡°I will tell him before I leave,¡± I tell her, gripping Vrian¡¯sface. ¡°Behave for your mother and stay in this room. Don¡¯t leave. Your mother can¡¯t chase after you right now,¡± I warn him, and he nods his little head. ¡°He¡¯ll be fine. I¡¯ll see you soon,¡± Everly says. And I nod to her, kissing each of the kids quickly. ¡°Make sure youe home to me. You are not leaving me with four babies to raise by myself,¡± she says through the mindlink. ¡°Not even the devil himself would stop me froming home to you. Or them,¡± I tell her, and she nods, yet I could tell she was trying not to cry. She didn¡¯t want me to go but knew I had to if we wanted to find Macey and have everyonee home safely. My father and hers could handle themselves, but we aren¡¯t sure what they are walking into, and each new Alpha is stronger than their father. It means Carter is stronger than them, plus he was forsaken once, so we aren¡¯t sure what it means in terms of his bite. Leaving, I swing by Tatum¡¯s room, stopping at the door. I didn¡¯t know how to tell him Macey was in trouble, yet he had a right to know. He loves her and Taylor, and I knew he wanted her back after seeing him today. Swallowing guiltily, I pushed the door open to find a nurse in there checking his vitals while another was redressing his leg. He looks up at me. The room smelled sterile, and I could smell antiseptic strongly in here. One nurse smiles, leaving while the other was redressing the wounds. Tatum looks over at me. ¡°Late - night visit, Alpha,¡± he states, and I nod. The nurse checks his dressings before nodding. ¡°I¡¯lle back and finish up,¡± she tells him, and he nods his head at her. I wait for her to leave, and Tatum pulls himself up higher on the bed. ¡°Everything alright?¡± he asks. I sigh and shake my head, moving closer to the bed. ¡°It¡¯s Macey,¡± I tell him, and he instantly perks up at her name. ¡°Is she here? Did she bring Taylor?¡± he asks. ¡°Carter has her, Tatum.¡± His eyes widen, and he instantly tosses the nket back. I grip his shoulder. Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. ¡°Everly wanted me to tell you, I am going after her. But you are in no state to travel,¡± I tell him, trying to shove him. ¡°If it were Everly, would you be sitting around?¡± he growls at me, and I press my lips in a line. ¡°The doctor has told you, you can¡¯t shift,¡± ¡°Fuck the doctors,¡± he growls, standing, and I grip his arm. ¡°I¡¯ming, Valen. That¡¯s my girl and my daughter¡¯s mother. You don¡¯t get to tell me something like this and expect me to sit around and wait for you to return.¡± he snaps, and I curse. 3 ¡°Fine, but we are leaving now, and you are to hang back when we get there,¡± I tell him, and he nods, though I had a feeling him hanging back with patrols wasn¡¯t happening. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± he growls, shaking my arm off and moving toward the door. When we step out, the nurse¡¯s eyes widen. ¡°Tatum, you should¨C¡± ¡°Leave him,¡± I tell her, and she backs up as he moves past her, ignoring the worried look of the nurse. Yet nothing no one said was going to stop him from shifting. Not even the risk of losing his leg would prevent him from shifting to get to her if we tried stopping him. Chapter 138 Chapter 138 Kalen POV ¡°What did he say?¡± I ask Marcus as he hangs up the phone. I start unraveling the new map we bought from the gas station on the hood of the car. ¡°He is sending scouts and is on his way,¡± Marcus tells me as we look over the maps with only a shlight for light. We were trying to find some trails. We knew roughly where she was, but the forest was so dense that navigating through unfamiliar terrain even for us could end up with us bing lost or walking straight past her without seeing her. The signal was only weak and kept blinking out. So while we waited for Valen to send some men, we searched over different maps trying to find any sort of trail. John was walking along the forest edge, trying to pick up any tracks or scents, so we were at a standstill for now. We needed help No doubt my son would be furious with us, yet we were hoping to have found and brought her back before he found out. Yet when the hours ticked by and we found nothing and the day came and gone and turned to night, we knew we would have to take his anger and ask for help. Macey¡¯s life was the priority, and we didn¡¯t want to take unnecessary risks more than we already had, and this area was known as forsaken territory, yet we were yet toe across any. ¡°What about this track? It leads toward the river?¡± I ask, finding a tourist trail. ¡°Too small for ess by car, hiking trail?¡± Marcus suggests, but it cut off before it got to the river, yet was the only trail we had found. ¡°Over here,¡± John calls out, and I look down along the road, the wind whipping my face as I look in his direction. It was bloody freezing out here. And the grass was ridiculously high along this road, and I could just make out his head and arm waving for us toe to him. ¡°Wait here,¡± I tell Marcus, and he nods, putting his head down to go over the maps again with his shlight. One was a tourist map, yet why anyone would tour out here was beyond me. The other was just an ordinary road map. Walking toward John, I stop beside him when he starts walking toward the truck stop about 500 meters down the road. We had passed it on the way here, but it was empty. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°What is it?¡± I ask him, jogging to catch up with him when he turns on his heel. ¡°I think I found Carter¡¯s car,¡± John tells me, I pick up my pace to follow him. We walked to the far back of the truck-stopping ce, where some toilets and bins were. The ce was entirely empty. John then disappears into the long grass, which was angled wrong, and bent toward the forest slightly. I followed him, barely a couple of meters off the road. Covered by branches and obscured by the grass was a car. ¡°That¡¯s definitely his car,¡± I tell John while trying to peer in the windows but seeing nothing from theck of light and the tint is too dark. The breeze picked up from the brewing storm, and we knew we would be racing the storm once the scouts and Valen arrived on the scene. Lightning had been streaking the sky for the past half an hour, and the thunder was growing louder as it got closer. The trees swayed, bent in the wind, and were surrounded by mountains as they whipped through, making the wind ¡°Not necessarily Macey is smart She would bide her time and wait, knowing we would search for her ¡± Johns says, turning and staring at the ground and looking for tracks. ¡°What do you want to do?¡± I ask John. And he nces back toward the road, ¡°Valen will be hours away,¡± John mutters, peering back into the forest¡¯s darkness. ¡°Not with the way my son drives,¡± I tell him, knowing Valen doesn¡¯t seem to understand the speed limits or how to abide by them. My son seemed to have a lead foot. Even so, it would take him time to get here. ¡°I am going in and taking a look around,¡± John says, walking around the car. ¡°Wait, let me tell Marcus. And I wille with you. Marcus can hang back for Valen and the others to arrive,¡± I tell him before walking out of the long grass and back to the road. I make my way back to Marcus and let him know, and he fiddles with my phone linking it to his. Walking around the back of my car. I pop the trunk. I grabbed some shlights before returning to John, who was stripping his clothes off. ¡°You¡¯re shifting?¡± I ask, and he nods. ¡°One of us should. Besides, I didn¡¯t bring my sses, and my eyesight is better shifted,¡± heughs. I nod. Best to be a little prepared. God knows what we will run into out there. ¡°You got the app open?¡± he asks, and I nod, holding up my phone to see her name blinking on but not giving us a direct direction, just shing in general on the screen but not in one spot like the frequency was being blown around. John sets his clothes on the car¡¯s roof and then shifts, and I turn the shlight on before stepping into the forest after him. The darkness swallows us instantly from the canopying trees, the ce silent, not even the crickets chirped, all noise dying out sensing John, a predator walking, trudging, and sniffing through it. We move a little deeper, and after ten minutes or so, John starts sniffing arge fern under a tree. ¡°What have you found?¡± I ask him. ¡°Blood,¡± John mind links back, and I shine the torch on the fern he was sniffing to see speckles of blood on the leaves. It was dried on the leaves, and I plucked the leaf off and sniffed it. ¡°Macey¡¯s,¡± I tell John, and he nods, peering into the darkness. A growl escapes him, and he lowers his head, moving through the trees silently, with me following behind him. Chapter 139 Chapter 139 Macey POV ¡°You¡¯re right. It is inevitable. But that doesn¡¯t mean it has to be unpleasant, right?¡± I ask before climbing between his legs. He watches me as I reach for the waistband of his pants, my fingers slipping beneath them. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. My fingers tremble as I grip them and slide them down his legs, only for him to grab my shoulders and haul me up his body. He crushes me against his body, and he rolls on top of me, his body sliding between my legs and pressing against me as he purrs. His hands reach for the thin slip dress as he bunches it before removing it over my head. He tosses it aside, his lips going to my chest. My skin buzzed and came alive at his touch, tingles spreading everywhere as he captured my nipple in his mouth. His lips trailed down my ribs, nipping and grazing my flesh with his teeth. I swallowed, trying to ignore our bond that was telling me to give myself to him. Yet it was hard when, despite not wanting his hands pawing over me or his lips tasting me, the sensations were overwhelming, yet down there, he would be distracted. He nips at my hip, shoving my legs apart, and I feel beneath my pillow to the edge of the bed when his mouth is suddenly on me; I cry out at the pleasurable sensation as his tongue sweeps over me while my fingers search for a piece of the antler I broke off. The chain on my ankle seemed to annoy him when he shoved my leg higher and spread me wider for him, yet I needed to move closer to my side of the bed, knowing the antler was at the very edge of the bedhead. Yet my hand fists the sheet when he sucks my clit, an involuntary moan escapes my lips, and I hated that he could y my body like a damn instrument thanks to the bond we shared. ¡°You seem distracted,¡± Carter murmurs against my lower lips, and my hand freezes in its search. I nce down at him to find him watching me, and his eyes flicker to that of his wolf side. It was eerie staring into them and seeing my face reflected back at me. ¡°No, I am just worried about Taylor,¡± I tell him, which wasn¡¯t a lie. I was petrified for her. I didn¡¯t want Nixon anywhere near her, if I didn¡¯t tell him the truth with him feeling out the bond, he would know I was up to something. Carter sits up on his elbows. He kisses my knee before he looks at me, his eyes scrutinizing my face. ¡°You will be reunited with your daughter soon enough, but for now, weplete the bond, Macey,¡± he says, dipping his head and running his tongue along my thigh. He grips my hips, his hands going beneath my ass so he can lift me to his mouth. His hot mouth covers me, and I squirm, wiggling closer to the side needed. While he is distracted, I slowly move my arm above my head again, cing my other hand on his head and fisting his hair while my fingertips search the edge of the bed. Carter growls against my clit, the vibration sending shock waves through me when I brush the edge of the antler. I gently pull it out, knowing it isn¡¯t 100 percent straight, and if it bangs on the wood, he would be alerted; I leave it beneath my pillow for easy reaching before tugging on his hair and moving my hips; he growls at me, trying to hold me still when I jerk his head back by his hair; he lifts his head and crawls up my body, settling his weight between my legs, and I wrap my arms around his neck, hugging him closer to kiss him. My tongue delves between his lips, and he kisses me back hungrily when I feel his erection pressing against me. I wrap my legs around his waist, rolling my hips against him, and arousal floods me, which helps me keep up with my n yet also clouds my mind as my body decides it wants to overtake all rational thought. Carter groans against my lips, his tongue tangling with mine as he tastes every inch of my mouth, and tears spring in my eyes at what I was about to do. He was my mate, and if he hadn''t done what he had, no doubt I could have loved him. But I also loved Tatum, and that love was pure, not tainted by death and anguish. Carter was willing to love me despite me not being able to give him kids, despite me being rogue, so it saddened me that the one person who actually wanted me was toxic. I couldn¡¯t have him. Yet, despite hating the man, I wanted him, just like I wanted Tatum, yet the bond made the feeling stronger. Some rational part of me knew the bond made me feel that way. And now I was about to kill the one person whose soul should be linked to mine, my twin me, and I was about to extinguish the fire and rece it with his blood and death, including my own. Carter rocks his hips against me, his hand going between our bodies as he positions himself at my entrance. His lips travel down to my mark on my right side. He sucks on it, nipping at my flesh, and I run my fingers through his hair. My throat suddenly developed a lump as I choked back emotion, and I kissed his cheek before he thrust himself inside me. He groans, and I roll my hips against him while he buries his face in my neck and breathes against my skin. My hand leaves his side to beneath the pillow beside me. I couldn¡¯t get his heart from this angle, yet still, I wrapped my hand around the piece of antler. His tongue traces over my mark, and I would miss that feeling that only made tears stream down my face as he moved slowly, rocking his hips against me when I gripped his hair. I locked my legs around his waist, and his hand gripped my thigh. A sob tore from my lips as I plunged the antler into his neck. He stills and gasps, startled, and I could feel the pain through the bond, the betrayal he felt while I choke on a sob at what I just did. 1 I grip him harder when he tries to push off the mattress, and I jerk it out only to plunge it back in, blood spurted across my face and gushed out of him, and his hand tried to pry my hand free, holding the antler in my fist. ¡°Macey,¡± he chokes, and I break at the sound of my name leaving his lips. I twist it, causing more blood to pour out. I felt it go through his windpipe, and heard him gurgle. ¡°I could have loved you, and I would have loved you,¡± I cried as I clutched him. ¡°But you hurt my sister,¡± I breathed. Carter gurgled, trying to lift up, but my legs were locked around his waist, my feet locked behind my ankles as I held onto him as he struggled to breathe. ¡°Fuck your mate bond. No, mate bond is stronger than the bond I have with my sisters,¡± I tell him as he chokes on his own blood. It spews out of his mouth and coats my shoulder, face, and neck with its warmth. Hisst breath beside my ear will always haunt me, same as the pain that sliced through my chest as sharp as a razor edge; it cut right through my heart and made my soul bleed as a coldness settled over me, so cold, it felt like death, and I knew it was his and mine. I felt the part of me that was connected to him die along with him. The bond tether and agony tore through me, and I hupped a sob. Kalen said killing your own mate would have consequences, and it felt like I was rotting from the inside out as I felt blood trickle from my nose instantly. I sniffled, feeling his dead weight crushing me as his body went limp, and it took every ounce of strength I had left to crawl out from under him. I was drenched in his blood, and I looked at his body face down on the bed before my shaky hands tucked the nket up, as if I could pretend I was tucking him in instead of being unable to look at what I did. Yet as I did, my legs went from under me, and I fell heavily beside the bed. I killed him. I killed my mate and knowing that only killed me even more. Chapter 140 Chapter 140 Valen POV We were on the other side of the mountain from where we were meeting up with my father. We were still about an hour away because the storm was making visibility a real bitch. Dion and a few other men were traveling in the cars behind us as we tried to get to my father. When the mind link opened up, Marcus came through. Stupidly, I opened it, allowing Tatum in on the link, not expecting the news we got. ¡°How far away are you?¡± ¡°About an hour away still, this storm is bloody terrible,¡± I tell him. My windscreen wipers were going a hundred miles an hour, and the road was barely visible, even to my enhanced eyesight. We were going to have a hell of a time finding anything out there if it didn¡¯t blow over soon. ¡°Your father and John have headed in,¡± Marcus tells us. ¡°They were supposed to wait for us,¡± I growled, annoyed they would be so reckless and enter forsaken territory without backup. My father at least should know better. I know John isn¡¯t in the right headspace at the moment because of ire, but even he should know better than to be this reckless. ¡°Yeah, well, your father found Carter¡¯s car and apparently some dried blood not far from it and decided he was sick of waiting,¡± Marcus says. ¡°That was thest contact I had with him via the mind link, but I can feel them through the tether, but it¡¯s as if they are both ignoring me now.¡± ¡°Pull over,¡± Tatum snarls. I nced at him out of the corner of my eyes, ignoring him. ¡°Okay, have they got their phones?¡± I ask Marcus. Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. ¡°Yep, but there is some sort of interference. After ten minutes, I lost them on the app,¡± Marcus says. ¡°Valen, pull over!¡± Tatum snarls, punching my dash when I ignore him. We were still an hour away. What use would pulling over be right now? ¡°Settle down. We are nearly there,¡± I tell Tatum, shoving him out of the mind link so I can focus on what Marcus is trying to say to me. I knew he was scared for Macey, but I never expected his next reaction when I didn¡¯t do as he asked. ¡°Let me out! It¡¯s quicker to go over the damn mountain than around it. Pull the car over, Valen,¡± Tatum yelled at me. ¡°Send ¡­¡± my words are cut off when Tatum tosses his door open beside me, I jam both feet on the brake and rip the hand brake up. The car locks up, and I grit my teeth, trying to hang onto the steering wheel when he tosses himself out of the car. Horror washes over me at the speed I was going. I had barely slowed down much when he threw himself out. The screeching of the tires on the wet road is loud as I try not to slide out and into a ditch. My eyes go to the rear vision mirror to see those behind us mming on their brakes while Tatum¡¯s body skidded and rolled across the road. One of them had to swerve to miss him, and I thought he was a goner for a few heartbeats. My heart raced in my chest as the car came to a stop, and I tossed my door open when he stopped. Climbing out, I hear him groan and get to his hands and knees. ¡± Tatum!¡± I yelled, running toward him, and all I could smell was burnt rubber from my tires. My warriors pulled off the road when he stood and staggered toward the opposite side of the road. Blood drenched him from where he all but skinned himself alive, his clothes torn from his body before he snarled, and my eyes widened in horror when I saw he was about to try to shift. Though if he managed it, it would either help him heal or kill him, I wasn¡¯t sure, but his leg! ¡°Tatum!¡± I yelled, about tomand him, when I heard his bones snapping, and he screamed. Each pop and crunch of bone was loud even over the raging storm as my men started jumping out of their cars to try to stop him. His skin was reced with bloody fur, hands turned to ws as he tried to run, only to copse to his knees as he forced the shift. I felt bile rise up my throat when he roared in furious anger as his body tried to refuse him, his bad leg not cooperating, and his ws raked across the wet road as he dropped his head and snarled. He was going to rip off his own leg. His leg dragged, and it was the oddest, most gruesome thing I had ever seen in my life! Every part of him shifted slowly except for his leg. Moments passed, which felt like hours when I saw his knee bend the wrong way before his shin snapped and fur ran along his busted leg. His scream of agony made me want to throw up when his femur finally snapped, and his leg twisted and shifted with him just as Dion and I reached him. Dion and I reached him at the same time, and I went to tackle him but instead, I hit the hard wet ground with a thud when he took off running for the forest surrounding the mountain. Dion grabs my arm, yanking me up, and I curse, looking at the forest to see Tatum disappear into the long grass and trees. ¡°Shit!¡± I curse. ¡°What do you wanna do, Alpha?¡± Dion asks. ¡°Get back in your cars. I won¡¯t risk anyone else,¡± I tell him. I hated it, but Tatum was on his own out there. This ce was full of forsaken, and I had to look out for my men. Marcus said the other side had been scoped out pretty well, and they hadn¡¯t seen any Forsaken. On this side, however, we had no idea what was out there. We race back to our cars, and I shake my head, cursing myself for being so stupid and allowing him in the mind-link. Yet I never expected him to jump from a moving car either. Chapter 141 Chapter 141 Macey POV Istared at Carter''s body for god knows how long before I came back to my senses.I nced around the room, and it suddenly looked a lot different. It was depressing before, but now it was as cold and dead as I felt inside. My nose still hadn''t stopped bleeding, and vertigo washed over me as I stood up.I stagger, moving toward the bag Carter had brought back with him. Undoing the zip, I rummage through it, looking for the key before remembering it was around his neck, and I nced at his body tucked in bed as if he was sleeping. Hesitantly, I move toward him before pulling the nket back.My hand shakes as I reach forward, grab the chain around his neck, and yank it. The gold chain snaps, and I quickly shove the nket back up to cover him. Tears spill over, and I wipe my eyes, trying to clear them when my vision turns red. I blink, trying to clear them and rub at them furiously, to see my handse back bloody, making me gape at them.I knew it would be harmful to kill a mate, yet I didn''t consider myself dying beside him.I didn''t want to die here.I wanted to see my little girl onest time, to at least tell her I love her, to see her face onest time. However, looking at my hands, I didn''t want her to remember me this way if this was going to be my future, my very short future.I choke back a sob and undo the chain around my ankle. When a crack of thunder makes the world seem like its ending as the cabin rattles and the floor shakes with its violent tremor.It was now pouring down with rain, and I knew I would be walking blindly out there, especially since I wasn''t sure if I could shift. Something felt like it was rotting me from the inside out. As if my soul was rotting as quickly as my body.I felt sickly, and I knew this was the consequence of me killing my mate.Yet I had to try.I may not be able to go home and see Taylor, but I needed to get somewhere my body could be found.I didn''t want her growing up, not knowing if I abandoned her or if I was dead.No, I would at least give her a body to bury. ncing at Carter, so much anger boiled within me. "I hate you!" I screamed at him before copsing to the ground. I punched the ground, my fist mming into the shitty wood as I screamed my anguish, frustration pain.My knuckles bleed as they split, and I clutch my hair, ripping at it.I wanted to hurt something, anything, myself, for feeling so weak. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Thated him, hated him. The man took everything from me. Everything and everyone he touched was destroyed.He destroyed Zoe. He destroyed me. But I hated him most, knowing he had just destroyed my baby because she would have to grow up without the one person who loved her most.I knew Everly and Zoe would look after her, and I knew they wouldn''t stop looking until they found what was left of me but no would love her the way I do.I may not be able to raise her, but they would for me.I choked on a sob, cursing at how fucked up this was. How cruel life was that I not only lost a mate but my daughter too. That saying, ¡®you don''t know what you have until you lose it" seemed tough at me. Because I never pictured finding my mate and losing him. Never pictured having my daughter and not being able to raise her. Never thought I would die without watching her be the woman she is destined to be.I would have been content to be mateless as long as I served my purpose, to see her through to adulthood when she didn''t need me anymore. That was my life''s purpose, to raise my baby, and now the only such purpose I had left was to get to a road so my body could be found, so she had something to bury. I could not die peacefully, knowing she would wonder if I left her, abandoned her. When I am done destroying myself, I look at the fistfuls of hair and my bloody fists. Numbness spreads over me, cold and uncaring, as I inhale a shaky breath. The air thickens with the storm as it pelts the tin roof. All my fight was gone, it left, and I was as dead as the bond I shared with him. Yet deep down, I knew I had to move, I needed to get up. Dragging myself to my feet, I stare at the door, swallowing down my sadness as I take a step toward it when it bursts open making me jump. Istared at the darkness outside before a low, deep growl vibrated throughout the cabin as an enormous wolf I recognized not only by scent but by his fur to be John. His paws made the floorboards creak as he stepped inside, and my legs gave out from under me, realizing I wouldn''t have to die alone. Footsteps on the stairs outside reach my ears when John spots me. "He''s dead," I tell him. His body rxes, and Kalen steps in behind him, pushing the door open more, and John shifts back.I turn my gaze away, knowing he is naked. John moves toward the bed, and I hear the nket get yanked back. "That he is." John states, and I look at Kalen, who nods at John''s words. "Good.Now, what are you doing on the floor?" Kalen asks, and Iblink at him. "Dying!" Iugh, rolling my eyes at him. Great, now I was numb.I could joke about my own death. "Nonsense, that''s what death looks like," Kalen says as he points to Carter. "Is that an antler?" John asks, holding up the bloody piece of bone. Kalen shakes his head at John before turning his attention back to me. "Well, time to clean this mess up," Kalen says, moving toward me, and I snort. He crouches in front of me. "I killed my mate," I tell him. "So did I," Kalen whispers, but I shake my head. "Maybe not the same way, but I killed my Val.You know it,and I know it.What you did was brave.What I did was cowardly," Kalen tells me, gripping my face in his hands. "Now get up.You have a little girl to get home to.And I got grandbabies to meet," Kalen says. "I can''t go back like this.I won''t force Taylor to watch me die.She will not remember me this way," I tell him. "No.Taylor won''t have to remember you, Macey because you are not dying.Now get up!" John says, and I look over at him to see he had stolen a pair of Carter''s shorts from the bag and slipped them on. "What about him? Even if I miraculously survive, I killed someone in cold blood.He was no threat to me," I tell them. "Sadly, Carter won''t be missed," Kalen says, and to me that was truly sad because despite everything J knew he was just broken and twisted, yet he wasn¡¯t aplete monster, I had seen parts of him that proved that. "Yeah, but the courts and council won''t see it that way," I tell them before coughing. "If that''s the case, you never killed him.Just like you didn''t kill Preston, I did." Kalen states, and I look at him before I heave. Coughing, my throat felt extremely itchy. Blood stters the floor and covers Kalen''s already drenched shirt. John steps forward as I choke on my blood. When I stopped coughing, I knew it was pointless to worry because I would be dead long before I got home. "Spose it doesn''t matter," I tell them, holding up my hand, drenched in my blood. Kalen looks at John, who nods, his eyes turn ssy, and he clears his throat before shaking his head. John stalks toward me almost angrily as he rips me to my feet. "You are not dying on us! So choose.Me or Kalen? Choose because I am not going home without you!" John growls. I look between them when Kalen grabs a makeshift chair and John shoves me down in it. "You will choose, Macey.Neither one of us wants the job of telling your daughter their mother is dead when we could have saved you," Kalen says. I swallowed, ncing between them and saying nothing.If I choose one, either way, I would be Valen''s new stepmother or Everly''s. That thought disgusted me.I loved these two old fossils, but not in that sense, and after feeling the bond with Carter, I knew what marking one of them would make me feel towards them. It was inevitable and so gross! Yet I also had no choice. This was my chance to go home to my baby. "Fine, paper, scissors, rock?" Kalen says, turning to John. "You won''t choose.We''ll choose for you," John adds. I look at my dead mate on the bed, his body cold, and the two men that were old enough to be my damn father.I knew Valen or Everly would forgive me for marking one of their dads, yet it felt wrong. The one person I wanted as a mate I couldn''t have, and my true mate, was dead because I killed him. Panic courses through me as I watch them repeatedly tie, both of them bing frustrated as I watch them shake their fists and both go scissors. "This is ridiculous," I mutter at the stupid situation I was stuck in. Of course, not only did the moon goddess give me a shitty mate, but she made two old guys be the ones to find me and was now forcing me to choose between them to save my life. Kalen curses when they both choose paper this time. "You''re just going to have to choose, Macey.John or me? Which one is marking you?" Kalen says as they look at me expectantly, and my lips part as I nce between them. "So, who¡¯s it going to be?" John asks. ¡®''Me!"''es a voice I never thought I would hear again. Kalen and John turn toward the door where the voice came from and so do I, to see Tatum walk in.He was drenched and naked, and I had no idea how he got here, but there he was and I was in disbelief. "And you better say yes because neither of their dusty old lips are touching my mate!" Tatum says, stepping into the cabin. Emotion chokes me and makes me speechless, and my body was moving toward him long before my brainprehended it. Icrash into him, my arms wrapping around his neck and my legs around his waist. Tatum stumbles back, clutching me, his fingers tangling in my hair as he grips me like I was his life jacket. "I''m here now.I''m so sorry," Tatum whispers, kissing my face before tugging my head back, but I couldn''t even form words. Stunned, he was here. "I choose you, Macey.You are far more than I deserve, but I won¡¯t let them mark you," Tatum whispers, his eyes going to my neck and Carter''s mark on it.He nces at the bed where Carter''s bodyid.He swallows and turns back to face me. Tatum sweeps my hair over my shoulder that is caked in blood and god knows what else before he snarls and sinks his teeth into my neck. Pain ripples through me as his teeth slice through my flesh, tearing Carter''s mark to pieces and forcing his in its ce. The tingles start out slow as I feel the bond start sewing its way through me, ridding Carter''s essence and recing it with his. Burning like acid, the pain was excruciating bliss as he sank them deeper, his canines hitting bone, and I felt his saliva move through my veins, feel his soul binding itself to mine and forcing mine to stay. A sob escapes me, and tears slip down my face as I turn my face into his neck, his bond strengthening mine and allowing my canines to extend. Not an ounce of hesitation ran through me as I sank them into his neck, and fireworks exploded in my head. Tingles made my skin vibrate as our souls entwined and bled into each other as the bond snapped into ce. Tatum gasps, pulling his teeth from my neck, and he runs his tongue along his mark, sealing it just as I pull my teeth from his. He presses his forehead against mine. "Let''s go home," he whispers, and I nod. Immense relief slivers through every atom in my body. I could go home.And I could go home to Taylor with the man I love as my mate. Chapter 142 Chapter 142 EVERLY Hours Later All night I panicked, and I felt useless, sick with worry and guilt that I was just sitting here waiting for them to return. I would have just got in the way or be a constant worry for Valen. Sometimes, you need to sit back and allow someone else to take over. But for me, that was easier said than done. However, Valen had proven to me that he could be relied on. Even when we didn¡¯t see eye to eye, he still showed up and still kept his promises. And this time was no different. Valen said he would bring Macey home, and he did. Earlier in the night, not long after Valen left, Zoe couldn¡¯t bear being home alone. Ava felt unsafe at home with just Zoe, or maybe it was her guilt about what happened to Zoe that she struggled to be alone with her. I didn¡¯t know; I was just relieved to have them here. So my room in the maternity ward had turned into a drop-in center. We soughtfort from each other¡¯s presence. Zoe had some of the warriors bring in blow-up mattresses for the kids to sleep on. The nurses had also found two extra beds and brought them in. Macey had caused quite a fuss when she got here. She refused to be checked over until she saw Taylor. Valen, Tatum, and Marcus dealt with pack dramas, council members, and officials. Ava had gone home with Dad and Kalen after they left, and I felt wired and overly emotional. Or maybe it was because of everything that had gone on recently, or perhaps it was my fluctuating hormones from having the girls. Yet as I looked around the room, I was brought back to the day I met these two women, two women who became my sisters. Maceyid beside me in the hospital bed, a drip in her hand, Taylor tucked against her side asleep while she held one of my girls. Zoe sat by my feet, holding my other daughter while I breastfed the other one in my arms. Zoe feeling my gaze on her, looked over at me, cing my daughter over her shoulder to burp her. ¡°Don¡¯t you start? You cry, we all bloody cry,¡± she chuckles sniffles, shaking her head and ncing at Casey and Vrian asleep on the blow-up mattress in the room¡¯s corner. She turned back to me and smiled sadly, then stared off at Macey, who was watching us.N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Zoe¡¯s guilt was clear on her face. She felt terrible Macey killed her mate for her, for all of us. ¡°Man, this is like a dose of d¨¦j¨¤ vu,¡± Macey mutters, and it is clear she was thinking the same thing as me. ¡° Only thing missing is our rumbling bellies and the rude nurses and midwives,¡± Zoe chuckled darkly. ¡°And the sneers and mutters, let¡¯s not forget those,¡± Macey says, and I swallowed. ¡°This hospital is a little nicer, too,¡± I snickered, peering down at my daughter attached to my breast. ¡°It feels like a lifetime ago,¡± Zoe mutters, and I nod, looking around at our kids, at my sisters. ¡°That¡¯s because none of us are those girls anymore,¡± I told them, and it was true. All of us came from nothing and built ourselves up in our own images. We raised our children together, and we did it through blood, sweat, and tears. We did it despite not believing we could at the start until we showed ourselves what we were capable of. Showed ourselves we didn¡¯t need anyone because we had each other. ¡°We aren¡¯t alone this time. It¡¯s not the same. We aren¡¯t scared little rogue women with no names, no identities, and no chance. It¡¯s different because we are. It¡¯s different because we know our worth; back then, we didn¡¯t.¡± I tell them. Macey nods, wiping a stray tear that escapes, and Zoe, I see, bites her lip to stop it from trembling. ¡°I know, it¡¯s just I hate maternity wards,¡± Macey says, and I understood that fear. Understood what it was like seeing families gushing excitedly while we were tucked away, not to be seen. Understood the trauma that was left behind from that experience. I know the feeling of walking out the hospital doors with a newborn in your arms and not knowing what you¡¯re doing or who to turn to. Not knowing how to provide for the baby in your arms when you can¡¯t provide for yourself. ¡°We¡¯ll get through this,¡± Zoe says, pursing her lips, a faraway look in her eyes, and I brush her lower back with my feet through the nket, bringing her back from where her mind took her. We all know that feeling of being so low we thought we would drown in our despair and fear, and it¡¯s what brought us together. It¡¯s also what drove us to prove everyone wrong. We would be heard, seen, and prove to them and ourselves that we didn¡¯t need anyone. And we did just that. So I knew Zoe was right. This was just another obstacle we would get through. Because despite everything going wrong and finding ourselves back where we started, in a sense. It was not the same. We were far from that ce and faced new challenges, but now we had the knowledge and drive backing us to ovee them. And most of all, we had each other and the vige we built. The vige we watched get destroyed and then rebuilt again. Brick by bloody brick, we would rebuild the fractured parts of us. We won¡¯t bleed anymore. We¡¯ll patch those walls, repaint, readjust, adapt, and rebuild ourselves. We would morph into the next phase of life because life would continue, and we would continue showing it we weren¡¯t to be beaten. We would show life that all our ws and scars, the peeling paint and cracked crumpling pieces, didn¡¯t mean we were broken or condemned. No, those broken pieces, once put together again, restored, strengthened us, and just added character. Showed the rough edges, and still, it came together beautifully, just like I know we would again. Only this time, we had our mates behind us to help. We relied only on each other and the routines we had built for so long. We lived and breathed each other. Leaned on each other or ourselves so much that it felt good to let go of some of the weight on our shoulders and breathe without restraint. And by the looks on the girl¡¯s faces, as our mates walked in, they felt the same. Gone was the fear of loneliness, burden, and responsibility because we once had others willing to share it. And not out of obligation or expectation, but because they wanted to. ¡°Did you sort everything?¡± I asked Valen as he came over to me. He leans down, kissing my forehead and brushing bubs cheek. Marcus was trying to steal the baby from Zoe¡¯s arms while Tatum watched Macey hold Baby , resting his head on her shoulder as he sat on her other side. ¡°Yes,¡± Valen whispers. ¡°What about Carter?¡± Macey whispers, her glistening eyes flicking to Zoe and then Tatum. He pecks her cheek. ¡°I¡¯ll help you organize the funeral,¡± Zoe says, and Macey chokes. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I know ¡­.¡± ¡°He was your mate,¡± Zoe says, simply ncing at Tatum. ¡°And as much as I wish I was your fated mate, I understand you need to put this behind you,¡± Tatum whispers to her. ¡°I doubt anyone will go, but it didn¡¯t feel right leaving him there to rot,¡± Macey states, looking down at my daughter. ¡°You don¡¯t have to exin yourself, Macey. You know this,¡± Zoe tells her. ¡°I know it¡¯s just,¡± ¡°It¡¯s because you¡¯re not a monster like he was. And I don¡¯t expect you to pretend not to care, Macey, just because of what happened. We will be standing right beside you.¡± Zoe tells her with finality to her voice. ¡°That leads to another question I have for you, Zoe?¡± Valen says beside me. Marcus growls, the sound threatening, and he presses his lips in a line. Zoe looks at Valen questionably before sighing loudly. ¡°Let¡¯s hear it then?¡± she states. I see her walls go up as if she was about to take a blow. I had hoped Valen held off, but I would support her decision. ¡¤ ¡°Amber handed over the location her new mate was hiding out. Derrick has him in the cells. He is thest one. We found out Carter killed the other. But¨C¡°. ¡°Amber and he marked each other when she left, Micah.¡± Zoe finishes for him, and Valen nods his head. ¡°We want to know what you want to do? The council supports any decision you make. Well, what is left of the council?¡± Valen tells her, and she sucks in a breath. ¡°Amber?¡± ¡°She wasn¡¯t in on the ns, but she was made rogue. And obviously, she was the motivator for her father.¡± Zoe nods her head at his words. ¡°I let you kill him, and Amber dies.¡± she sighs. ¡°It¡¯s your decision, Valen tells her, but what Marcus wanted her to say is clear. ¡°There¡¯s been enough death. Please ensure he isn¡¯t jailed in the city,¡± Zoe answers. ¡°Zoe?¡± Marcus says. ¡°No, it¡¯s my decision, and I won¡¯t kill her because of what he did. She can live with it just like he will have to live with his mistake the same way I have to live with the memory of it,¡± she says. Marcus nods to Valen, his free arm slipping around her waist as he pulls her to his side. ¡°What about Nixon¡¯s Pack?¡± I ask ¡°It will be dismantled. Those still alive and pack members can decide where they go or remain and live as a rogue.¡± Valen states, and I nod. ¡°We still have no idea of Nixon¡¯s whereabouts. His mate is being questioned, but the werewolf council is trying to find something to charge her with. Besides her trying to get us arrested, we don¡¯t really have any charges against her.¡± Valen tells us. ¡°And if they can¡¯t charge with her anything?¡± ¡°She¡¯ll be made rogue and watched until she slips up,¡± Valen states. Well, it was better than nothing, but I did not like the idea of her being in the city, but she can only be charged with what we can prove. Valen holds his hands out, wanting to take baby A from my arms, and I hand her over to him, my arms suddenly feeling empty. ¡°She¡¯ll need burping,¡± I tell him, and he nods, cing her over his shoulder while I tuck my boob away. ¡°Though of any names yet?¡± Macey asks. ¡°Yeah, I wanted to ask about that actually,¡± Valen states, and I was d he had names because I had nothing ¡°So let¡¯s hear them,¡± Macey says. ¡°I¡¯m still stuck on one, and if it¡¯s okay with you, I was wondering if I could pick the names?¡± ¡°You want to name all three?¡± I ask him worriedly. What if he names them something strange or if all their names start with V? ¡°I promise I won¡¯t fill out the paperwork until you agree,¡± he states. I chew my lip but sigh. ¡°I swear if you name them after a car or something strange that they won¡¯t be able to pronounce, I will kick your ass and don¡¯t name any Everly! I tell him. ¡°Promise, but you have to wait until tomorrow. Dion is engraving their bracelets,¡± ¡°Wait, you already went ahead?¡± I chuckled. ¡°I knew you would say yes. He just waiting for thest name.¡± he shrugs. ¡°What if I said no?¡± ¡°You could have named thest one but would need to make it match my middle name. That is what I am having trouble with, a name to go with the middle name.¡± Valen tells me, and I narrow my eyes at him usingly. ¡°You¡¯ll like the names, I promise,¡± he says, smiling slyly. Chapter 143 Chapter 143 Valen POV We were finally going home, and I was beside myself with panic and I think that this was the slowest I had ever driven in my life. Cars were honking their horns behind me, and I red at the driver in my mirror. Does he not see the baby on board sticker? Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. ¡°Valen 50kms is already too slow for this strip. You¡¯re doing 20 under,¡± Everly hisses at me as cars overtake me. ¡°We have fragile cargo in the car. What if their little heads wobble?¡± Just saying that has me reduce my speed more. It wasn¡¯t worth the risk! ¡°We are more likely to get hit with you going this slow,¡± Everly scolds, and I sigh. ¡°I¡¯m serious, Valen. Speed up or let me drive. They¡¯re more durable than you think,¡± ¡°They are newborns!¡± I catch Everly rolling her eyes. ¡°I get this is your first newborn, and you want to wrap them in cotton wool, but seriously, they are durable, geez. Vrian fell off the bed once, screamed his damn head off, but he is perfectly fine,¡± ¡°You dropped him off the bed?¡± I ask, horrified. ¡°No! Of course not! He rolled off. Damn near had a heart attack.¡± Sheughs. ¡°Why are youughing?¡± I asked, outraged. She was not holding them if she was going to be dropping them. ¡°Nothing. Just something your mother said when she raced to our room because I was screaming like a banshee thinking I killed him.¡± ¡°What did she say?¡± I asked, curious. ¡°I told her what happened, and her reply was. He¡¯s screaming. He¡¯s fine. It¡¯s when they don¡¯t make noise that you worry.¡± I raise an eyebrow at her. ¡°How old was he?¡± ¡°6 months old.Don¡¯t even get me started on how many times I smacked the kids head on the door frame lifting him into his car seat. He turned out perfectly fine.¡± she states while all I could think was how the heck my son was still alive? He should have brain damage with all these bumps to the head. ¡°Perfectly fine? The kid has OCD.See what dropping him did?¡± Everly sighs and shakes her head. ¡°I wonder where he gets that from. I bet the entire house is baby proofed,¡± she taunts. ¡°OCD is not gic,¡± I tell her. ¡°I would debate otherwise,¡± she retorts. ¡°And I don¡¯t have OCD,¡± I argue. ¡°So you didn¡¯t babyproof the entire ce?¡± she scoffs, I swallow. ¡°Of course not!¡± I tell her, opening the mind-link. She shakes her head and peers out the window. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Marcus asks. He was watching Vrian for me since I couldn¡¯t fit everyone in the car. ¡°All the baby proofing stuff, hide it. Undo it. I need to prove to Everly I don¡¯t have OCD.She thinks I am OCD,¡± I scoff. ¡°Ah, but you do have OCD,¡± Marcus replies and I bite back the urge to growl at him. ¡°No, I don¡¯t! Just do as I ask, damn it. I am five minutes out,¡± ¡°On it,¡± Marcus says, and I cut the link. ¡°So, are you going to tell me the names you picked?¡± Everly asks, leaning over to check the babies. ¡°You will find out tomorrow when I pick up the bracelets,¡± I tell her, and she hisses, clutching her stomach as she turns back to face the front. ¡°Sit still before you hurt yourself,¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± she says as I pull into the parking garage. ¡°That was the slowest damn drive of my life. Next time I am driving!¡± she states, shoving the door open. Now, to master these capsules, they were a real bitch to get in. I had to get my father to show me, who was just as useless, and he then enlisted John to help, but he was no help either. So we all gave up and let Zoe and Macey handle it. Everly plucks a capsule out, then the middle one while I was still struggling to undo the one I was in charge of. ¡°Squeeze the handle. The red button on the side and lift!¡± ¡°I am squeezing and pressing.It¡¯s faulty.¡± I tell her, bing flustered. Everly clicks her tongue and walks around to my side, one baby capsule in each hand. She sets them down and pushes me out of the way with her hip. I re at her when it takes her two seconds to do it. Now she was just showing off! ¡°You¡¯ll get the hang of it,¡± she says, walking toward the elevator while I grab the baby bags. Man, these tiny creatures owned some shit. I felt like a mule carting it all up. When the elevator doors open, Marcus opens the mind-link as I step inside. ¡°How do I get the toilet things off? I can¡¯t even open the lid,¡± Marcus tells me. ¡°What? How am I supposed to know? I didn¡¯t install them. The handyperson did just before you got there,¡± ¡°Not even Vrian can open it. I had to piss off your balcony earlier because of this contraption.¡± He growls. ¡°Vrian is pulling down the gates. I don¡¯t get it. Why do you have gates up when they can¡¯t even lift their own heads, let alone walk?¡±. Everly presses the button impatiently, crossing her legs. ¡°Are you okay?¡± I ask her. ¡°Yeah, I need to pee,¡± she says, and I blink ¡°Get the damn toilet thing off! Break it for all I care!¡± I scream at Marcus through the link. ¡°I¡¯m trying! What do you think I am doing?¡± Marcus snarled as the door opened up. Everly waddles like a duck to the door, shoving the key in the lock. She twisted frantically and growled before the door opened, and she rushed inside. I trailed behind her to see her set the babies down next to the couch before she darted off up the hall, and I heard a crash. ¡°Valen!¡± she groans. I set baby C down and rushed up the hall to find she had tripped over a gate. She hauls herself up to run to the bathroom. Marcus rushes out just before she enters, and she ms the door. And I look at Marcus, who shakes his head. The next minute, I hear her scream. ¡°Valen!¡± she snarls as she tries to undo the toilet trap. I cringe and wait for the door to open. ¡°Not OCD, huh?¡± I smile awkwardly as she folds her arms across her chest, her overfull boobs giving me a delicious sight. Those puppies were huge, and I and I couldn¡¯t wait to touch them. ¡°Eyes are up here!¡± Everly says while I lick my lips, imagining them jiggling above me as she rode my cock. ¡°And now you get to clean the bathtub because I just had to pee in it,¡± she growls, pushing past me. Damn it! ******** Everly POV Watching Valen, I found it rather amusing. He treated them like they were made of ss. ¡°Should she be crying like that?¡± he asks, watching baby C scream her head off as I switched boobs since she was struggling totch while Valen passed me, Baby A, so I could tandem feed. ¡°She is fine,¡± I tell him, though I was getting sick of calling them the baby alphabet. I wanted to know the names he chose, but he was remaining tight-lipped. Baby B was asleep. Or was until a few minutes into feeding. ¡°Can you grab her?¡± I ask him. Although he was already walking to her bass, he leaned over, cooing and pulling faces at her. I watch him lift her before he subtly sniffs the air before holding her at arm¡¯s length, his fingers behind her little head as she stretched and farted. ¡°You need to change her,¡± Valen demands, and I raise an eyebrow at him. ¡°Please!¡± he offers. ¡°No, you need to change her. I am feeding these two.¡± I tell him with a smirk. I knew he could change a diaper. I had seen him change wet ones, and now he gets to change a shitty one. Valen pursed his lips determined, and I tried not to smile andugh. As he set her down on the end of the bed, gathering what he needed just as Vrian walked in. ¡°Ew, what¡¯s that smell?¡± ¡°That would be dynamite butt,¡± Valen says, pointing to her squirming on the bed. He took her onesie off, unclips the nappy, and heaves instantly. ¡°Nope!¡± he says. ¡°Yep! You gotta get used to it,¡± I tell him. He heaves again, which makes Vrian heave while I watch, amused. I¡¯m not helping. He needs to get used to it. I am not being in charge of diaper duty for all three babies! ¡°I¡¯ll swap ya.¡± he pleads, giving me puppy dog eyes.s ¡°Oh, you figured out how to breastfeed?¡± I ask and he mutters something, tugging his shirt over half his face. ¡°Why is it ck like Tar?¡± he chokes out. He cleans and wipes, heaving the entire time, his face turning red, and when he is finally done, he dresses her. ¡°Run this to the bin for me,¡± he tells Vrian, dumping the nappy in his little hand. Vrian stares at the diaper that his father ced in his hand horrified. I watch as he pales, just as Valen picks up the baby. ¡°Vrian?¡± I ask a little toote because he throws up all over Valens¡¯ pants. I watch Valen¡¯s eyes widen, and he blinks a few times before quickly ncing down at his pant leg. ¡°Sorry, dad,¡± Vrian says, gripping his father¡¯s shirt to wipe his mouth on. I press my lips in a line trying to stifle myugh. I watch as Valen sets the baby down before he gags, running for the toilet to throw up himself. I sigh. Yep, this would be interesting, I thought to myself. Chapter 144 Chapter 144 Valen POV ¡°You need to take the batteries out. Why doesn¡¯t she stop crying?¡± I whined, hearing baby C scream for the hundredth time since we got her home? That one was faulty, or she needed to be ced back on demo mode, I thought as I rolled over with my sandpaper eyes to retrieve her from her bass.1 ¡°Babies cry,¡± is all Everly offers as she shuffles up the bed and yawns. I peer at the clock.She wasn¡¯t even asleep for forty-five minutes this time. It was 2:20 am! ¡°You need to get that one checked. Something is wrong with her,¡± I tell Everly as I hand her over. Everly flops out a boob while the baby opens her mouth like a fish enjoying my funbags, and Everly won¡¯t let me touch them either. I eye the baby with jealousy. 3 My balls were so blue, and I knew I was never gettingid again at this rate, and here Everly was flopping those big juicy titties out in front of me every two seconds.Does she not know how full my balls are? They need emptying. Everly eyes go to me for a second, I wonder if she knows what I am thinking. Iy back down and just shut my eyes when another started screaming. Oh, how I took sleep for granted! It had been our first night at home, and I was already exhausted. No way I could survive this for? Wait, how many years do babies cry for? I groan, and Everly snickers, and I swear if she says one more time, you¡¯ll get the hang of it, I will¡­ I will¡­ I will do absolutely nothing because I can¡¯t! ¡°Go to sleep, please! I need sleep,¡± I whine, pulling the pillow over my head. Everly nudges me with her knee, and I sigh, rolling back out of bed to retrieve baby A this time. I hand her over, and Everly tries to get her totch. I watch my funbags dete as the baby gulps down the goodness. ¡°You may need to make a bottle. My supply isn¡¯t very good,¡± Everly tells me and I nod while walking toward the door. ¡°Can you make me a cup of tea too, please?¡± I yawn, going to the kitchen. I squint at the form can, checking the scoops and mls before fixing a bottle just as I am about to walk out of the kitchen. Baby B wakes with a loud scream, then I remember I still hadn¡¯t made the tea. Torn, I look between the kettle DWUDK=IN the hallway when Everly calls out. ¡°She is fine. It won¡¯t hurt her to cry for a minute or so,¡± she sings out. I was halfway through making the tea when the crying stopped. A sigh of relief leaves me. This is my life now, it will be filled with diapers and bottle changes, and the smell of dirty diapers in the air was getting on my nerves. It was torture, blissful torture, but still, torture. Walking back into the room, Baby B had fallen back asleep in the bass, Baby A and C had fallen asleep in her arms, and Everly had her head back resting on the headboard, also asleep. ¡°Looks like I made myself tea,¡± I whisper, walking into the room. I ce the mug down, propping more pillows under her arms, so they don¡¯t slip out. Everly had be a baby pacifier, and I wasn¡¯t waking them. Laying down, I closed my eyes, but paranoia had me opening them every two seconds and flicking the lamp on, paranoid one would slip out of her arms. Giving up, I drink the tea, watching them sleep and sticking my finger under Baby B¡¯s nose every two seconds to check she is still breathing. Again I tried to sleep, yet that nagging voice in my head had me flicking themp on, and I decided to try detach them from her. I utch one, only for Everly¡¯s eyes to fly open. ¡°Did you make my tea?¡± she asks, ncing around before spotting the empty mug. * * * * * * * Midday. Marcus was on his way toe to get me. I finally figured out thest name to go with the middle name I chose. I just hoped Everly liked the names I picked. Each one had a link to someone special to us, or more importantly, each name was inspired by the strongest women I have ever met or wished I could meet. When he texts to tell me he is here, I climb off the couch, passing Baby C to her and kissing her and Everly¡¯s head. ¡°Everyone should be here soon for the baby¡¯s name reveal. I am hoping to get back before they get here,¡± I tell her, and she nods. Everything seemed toe so naturally to Everly, and despite the chaos, our lives have been ofte. She held it together well. We had so much to do and to get ready. The Hotel was opening up soon. Everly had the council meeting next week, and she was officially changing thews on the rogues. Court cases and investigations were still ongoing, and I spent half the morning on the phone or checking emails. Until Nixon was caught, I didn¡¯t want to be away unless necessary, so John came over early this morning to sit with her. Everly and I discussed briefly this morning the need for a bigger ce, so dad was getting the packhouse ready. Everly wanted extra room so our fathers and Ava could remain with us to help with the kids, and I wasn¡¯t saying no to any help. One night had taught me this was going to be exhausting. Walking to the elevator, I press the button leaning against the wall and shutting my eyes. I was on the nod when the doors opened up to the underground garage. Marcus was leaning against the hood, waiting for me. He wasn¡¯t happy about not being able to kill the other one responsible for hurting Zoe, yet he understood it was her choice. I don¡¯t know if I would have made the same decision as her. I would have wanted revenge, but it showed what sort of person she was. Despite hurting herself, she didn¡¯t want to hurt another or kill Amber, though death I believed was too kind even for that girl.! ¡°You look like shit,¡± Marcusments as I open the car door and slide into the passenger seat. He moves to the driver¡¯s side and hops in. ¡°Thanks for taking me. I didn¡¯t trust myself to drive.¡± I yawn while covering my mouth. He nods, starting the car and driving toward Dion¡¯s jeweler¡¯s. ¡°Derrick had rke removed from the city, and the other scumbag. Deacon is also under investigation for corruption within the council,¡± Marcus tells me. 1 ¡°Good. I spoke with Alpha Daxon earlier. He doesn¡¯t want Nixon¡¯snd. So we decided to leave it as neutral territory,¡± I told him. ¡°More housing for the rogues then,¡± Marcus says while navigating around a roundabout. ¡°How is Zoe?¡± I ask him. ¡°She says she is okay,¡± Marcus says with a sigh. ¡°Nightmares?¡± I ask. ¡°No, guilt. She feels bad for Macey having to kill Carter. Even though Macey told her it wasn¡¯t just because of her, I think Zoe knows it was.¡± Marcus tells me. ¡°Macey loves Tatum, and they are good together,¡± I tell him, but yeah, I could not imagine being in her shoes and killing my mate, that would be torture. ¡°Think it is just knowing Macey did it for her. Anyway, hopefully, today will take her mind off it. I have to pick them up after I drop you back,¡± Marcus tells me. We pull up along the road and climb out. I was excited to see the bracelets engraved and nervous about the names. Marcus knew two of the names and even tried to help me pick a name suited to the middle name I was stumped on. It wasn¡¯t usually a middle name, and nothing seemed to go with it until I found something perfect. The bell rings as we step inside, and Dion looks up. ¡°Just waiting on thatst name. The other two are done,¡± he tells me, getting to his feet and pushing his sses up his nose. ¡°Summer,¡± I tell him, and he nods, walking out the back to do thest engraving. ¡°Summer?¡± Marcus asks. ¡°Everly¡¯s mother¡¯s maiden name. It¡¯s also the name she used to go by before I found her. It seemed fitting to go with the other,¡± I tell him, and Marcus smiles. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to see her face when she hears them,¡± Marcus chokes up. He knew the meaning behind each name. All names from women I found inspiring, and each held a special meaning to not only me, but I knew they would hold dear to Everly too. Dion takes about twenty minutes before he returns, using the polishing cloth on thest one, he sets them in a little box and bags them for me after I check them. Satisfied, we left and headed back home, yet the trip was taking way too damn long. I was excited to show Everly, but these damn roundabouts. Seriously, why do they have so many roundabouts along this straight? Someone needs toin to the council,¡± I growl. Marcus raises an eyebrow at me. ¡°You designed this road to stop the hooning. You are the damn council. Comin to yourself.¡± Marcusughs, and I roll my eyes. ****** EVERLY POV I anxiously waited for Valen to return while going over bridal magazines with Ava. Dad was making me coffee while I sat and pondered what names he chose. Vrian sat on the floor, watching his sisters squirm in their swings. Every noise they made had him jumping to give them their dummies or hushing them. All morning he had been passing diapers and following me around, wanting to help, wanting to cuddle and touch them. They were his prized possessions until the diaper changes. Then he was nowhere to be seen. 1 Dad had just set my coffee down on the coffee table when the door opened and Valen walked in. I eagerly looked over the back of the couch toward the entry. ¡°Evie,¡± Valen says, leaning over the couch. He pecks my lips, looking down at the magazine sitting open in myp. ¡°Finally going to start nning?¡± he asks and I nod. ¡°Show me,¡± I tell him, reaching for the bag in his hands. He shakes his head, ¡°Grab the girls and bring them into the room first, then you can see.¡± Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. He tells me, and I pout before hauling my ass off the couch and over to the baby swings. I grab baby A, and Ava passes me Baby B while Valen grabs Baby C. I was d to be rid of the baby alphabet and couldn¡¯t care less what he named them at this point, as long as they had names. Real names. I follow Valen into the room, and he ces the baby on the bed, and I ce the other two beside her, peering over his shoulder as he rummages through the jewelry bag, ¡°Away, you will see in a minute,¡± he says, shooing me. I growl at him and sit near the bedhead, watching as he sps each one in ce. When he was done, he nced at me nervously. ¡°Come on, they can¡¯t be that bad. Now let me look,¡± I whine at him. Valen moves aside and motions to them. I hop up, going over to examine the gold bracelets on their wrists. My lip quivers as I pick up the first one¡¯s little wrist. I blink back tears, moving to the next. And thest one damn near broke me. ¡°You like them?¡± Valen asks nervously, and I peer up at him. ¡°Love them,¡± I whisper, and he smiles, stepping closer and wrapping his arms around me. I squeeze him tight, resting my head against his chest. ¡° Their names are perfect,¡± I tell him, looking up at him, and he kisses my nose. Hearing the door momentster, I smile, hearing voices echoing throughout the ce as Macey, Tatum, and Taylor arrive, along with Zoe, Marcus, Casey, and Kalen. Scooping the girls up, Valen took two while I grabbed Baby C. ¡°I think her name is fitting. She is definitely a troublemaker with all her crying,¡± Valenments as he walks out to greet everyone. They all chatted excitedly while dad made himself handy in the kitchen. ¡°Dad!¡± I call to him, and he looks over at me. ¡°Come sit,¡± I tell him. He stops what he is doing. He goes to sit with Kalen on the ottoman. ¡°No, next to Macey,¡± I tell him. Valen moves across to where Zoey is sitting with Marcus and hands her one baby. ¡°Can I look?¡± she asks all excitedly, pping her hands before taking her from Valen. ¡°You can look,¡± Valen tells her. Zoe does and she falls quiet for a second and nods, choking a little before looking up with tears in her eyes. ¡°Well, what¡¯s it say?¡± Macey asks impatiently while trying to peer over my father¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Summer Zoey Sce,¡± Zoey chokes as I hand the next baby to Kalen. He smiles as he looks at her bracelet. ¡°Now, I said I wouldn¡¯t name her after you, but I added a spin on it,¡± Valen whispers to me. ¡°Everlyn Vrie Sce,¡± Kalen states before leaning down and kissing the top of her little head. Valen turned to my father before passing her over while dad shook his head, tears streaming down his face. He already knew before even looking. ¡°Your mate sacrificed herself for her grandchildren, and none of them would exist if she didn¡¯t,¡± Valen tells him. Macey peers down at the bracelet, softly brushing her thumb over the back of bubs hand. ¡°Five remarkable women and I couldn¡¯t think of any better way to honor them,¡± Valen tells them. ¡°Well?¡± Zoe asks, and Macey sniffles. ¡°ire Macey Sce,¡± she stammers, and Tatum grips her shoulders. ¡°Our vige,¡± I tell them. ¡°Our family,¡± Valen adds. Chapter 145 Chapter 145 Everly POV Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. 6 WEEKS LATER The two of us had pretty much settled into a routine by this point, Everything seemed to be going smoothly. As a result, thews against rogues have been removedpletely. Though the hotel had a plumbing hup, and still wasn¡¯t open. Valen was currently going to deal with that while I was at my dress fitting. He was meeting me afterward so we could go grocery shopping. We had finally moved into the packhouse, and the extra room was weed. Dad and Ava were currently living with us to help with the girls, but today Dad and Kalen were stuck helping Valen today. They were also now head of the council, which was also taking up most of the time during the day. rke pleaded guilty to his charges along with the others, and they were now rotting away in prison cells. Yet we still had no idea where Nixon was, and despite watching his wife, she never left the house, or if she did, she never left her old pack territory. ¡°Vrian, can you pass Evelyn her dummy?¡± I ask him while thedy finishes pinning my dress. Zoe and Macey were supposed toe to the fitting with me and helped me pick out my dress with Ava, but all of them were busy today. The three of them chose violet bridesmaid dresses, and I chose a beige dress, yet I was still dropping weight, and now my boobs had gone back to normal. The dress needed taking in even more. I had one more fitting after this one to retake my measurements. It had been a mission to haul all the kids into the car by myself, so I brought Vrian along instead of sending him to school. The dressing fitting took forever, and I was excited about going home. I was exhausted, and the girls were sick of sitting in the stroller, which barely fit in the back of my car. Slipping the dress off, I quickly got changed and decided to ring Valen to find out how far away he was. I kind of hoped he would volunteer to do the grocery shopping himself. Though I know, he wanted me toe with him so that I could go to the reserve GYSdM>LJ finally shift on the way home. I still hadn¡¯t. Time was always against me, or I was far too tired, knowing how it usually exhausted me I wasn¡¯t all that temped to shift. Valen answered the phone on the second ring and I could tell he was in the car by the echo.¡± Where are you?¡± I ask,ing back out of the dressing room. I thank thedies that work here and kick off the breaks to the stroller. ¡°About fifteen minutes away,¡± Valen tells me. ¡°Okay, I will start getting the kids in the car,¡± I tell him, pushing the pram out the door as Vrian holds it open for me. ¡°Yep, I will follow you home. Dad is meeting us there. He said he would watch the kids for us while we go grocery shopping and for a run,¡± he tells me and I sigh but say nothing, knowing we hardly spent any alone time together, and I know he was craving that. I could tolerate being exhausted if it made him happy. ¡°Okay, see you in a few minutes,¡± I tell him, stepping into the hot sun and squinting at the brightness. ¡° That you will; I love you,¡± ¡°Love you too,¡± I tell him before hanging up. It was scorching hot today, the sun high in the sky. Vrian and I made our way across the parking lot. I hit the fob unlocking the doors as we approach, and Vrian climbs into the back and sits on the center console so he can help do up the seatbelts. He was my little helper and loved being able to help in any way he could. He adored his sisters, and we worried he would be upset about not having a brother, but he seemed to all but forgotten now. I ce ire in the middle seat, and Vrian starts doing up her belt while I get the next one out. We clip all three of them in, and I ask Vrian to y with them while I pull the stroller down. His car seat was in the front, which wasn¡¯t ideal, but Valen was getting a van next week for me. We were just waiting for it to arrive. Trying to fold the stroller, movement near the bakery down from the bridal store catches my eye and I see Amber walking out looking terrible. It was the first time I had seen her. She nces at me before dropping her head and rushing toward her car. I sigh, going back to my task. Folding the stroller into my car, I pop the trunk and jam all the crap in it. A bigger car is what I needed. I push all my weight on the trunk to close it, and I can see Vrian shaking the rattle for the girls excitedly. I smiled, watching him for a second. He waves to me, and I wave back when a strange expression crosses his face. My brows furrow when he screams. ¡°Mum behind you!¡± he screamed the most blood-curdling scream. It sent my blood cold when I felt someone grab my hair, and I heard the sound of my head smashing into the trunk before everything went ck. The sun shining behind my eyelids confused me as my head pounded. I sat up, wondering why I was on the ground. My keys that were clutched in my hands were now gone. ¡°Unlock the door, you little shit!¡± I hear a woman snarls. I blink when I hear my kids screaming. Groaning, I sit up. ¡°Stop that!¡± she yells as I hear my car doors unlocking and locking. Sitting up, I pull myself up, clutching the trunk, and my eyes widen when I see Nixon¡¯s wife hit the fob. The doors unlock, and she rips the door open before Vrian can push the lock back down. The girls screamed, and Vrian screamed for me, petrified. My heart raced when I saw her go to get in the driver¡¯s seat. Yet all I could think was she was trying to take my babies. I run at her, tackling her, and we both smash into the open driver¡¯s side door. When I hear a snarl somewhere behind me. She drops the keys, and we both scramble to get them just as I hear Vrian m the door shut. We wrestled for the keys while I screamed for help; when fingers gripped my hair, yanking my head back, I tossed my elbow back, connecting with someone behind me before diving back onto Nixon¡¯s wife as her outstretched hand reached for the keys. Ind on top of her snatching the keys before she could and hitting the lock button just as I am hauled off. ¡°Get the bloody keys, you useless woman,¡± I heard Nixon¡¯s voice growl as I am ripped off his wife. My blood runs cold, and I only do what I can think of first. I toss the keys toward the store¡¯s roof as hard as I can. The keysnd on the roof. Vrian was screaming his head off inside the car. While I kicked at Nixon¡¯s wife as she tried to get close to me. ¡°Just take her. Hurry!¡± she screams at Nixon. I twist in his grip, my hair ripping out painfully before punching him in the balls from my bent position, and he lets go with a grunt, just as she punches me in the ribs. I gasp for air, feeling my ribs break before she knees me in the head. I see ck momentarily as I hit the ground,ing back to Valen¡¯s voice screaming in my head and asking what¡¯s happening when I see Nixon punch the window. The snarl that left me was more of a roar as I shifted, my body smashing his against the car and denting the door before I was ripped off by ws sinking into my rump. I twist, swiping at Nixon¡¯s wife, who had shifted into a murky brown wolf. My ws shed down her face as Nixon¡¯s teeth sank into the back of my neck. ¡°Valen!¡± I scream through the mind link as the woman in the store, hearing themotion, races out only to pause as I squared off with the Alpha while trying to keep my eyes on his wife. The car was off, and it was stinking hot, and I knew my car was heating up like a damn oven inside. Nixon lunges at me, and I ducked, sinking my teeth into his hind leg, when his wife grabs my tail, ripping me backward. The screeching of tires in the distance told me Valen was close. I just needed to hold off a little longer. I could see the woman from the store on the phone to the police, and I would bloody p her for standing there if I survived long enough.¡± Why are you just standing there!¡± I hear a voice snarl at the woman. Nixon¡¯s jaws grab my front leg, and he shakes his head, but that means he left his neck wide open, and I chomp down on the back of it. My spine felt like it was breaking as his wife yanked on my tail, trying to get me off him, but I wasn¡¯t letting go. They weren¡¯t taking my babies. They would have to kill me first. That when something unexpected happened, I thought she left and I realize it was her voice I heard yelling at the shop assistant. One minute I am being ripped apart by them, the next Amber attacks Nixon. Her malt-colored wolftching its jaws around his back leg and shaking viciously while I turn on his wife. Chapter 146 Chapter 146 She shouldn''t have tried to touch my babies! My instincts were running feral, and she backed up, almost tripping over her own tail as she tried to get away from my teeth. Pouncing on her, my teeth rip into her neck, my ws sink into her sides, and she wails loudly while thrashing.I start ripping at her neck, tearing the flesh from her bones, spraying her blood everywhere. It drenched me when I heard a whimper behind me and knew I only had moments before Nixon was on me. She bucks wildly, trying to throw me off, as her skin peels back.She would bleed out before I could go for the kill. I let go before chomping down again, only this time on the side of her neck, curling my ws under her ribs, and shaking my head. My vision turns red as her blood gets in my eyes.She rears up on her hind legs, and my ws sh down her sides as I am thrown back. I hit the ground,nding on my side, my chin hitting the concrete, and I spit the chunk of fur on the ground and skin in my jaws, her blood molesting my tastebuds. Getting to my feet, I went to attack her again when I mmed into the car. The thud was loud as Nixon''s teeth rip into my chest. Vrian screamed, and the windows smashed at the impact. There screams ring out loudly behind me. Nixon''s teethtch onto my front paw and he flings me to the side. Getting up, I am smashed by his wife again, and I see Amber''s naked form bruised and bloody a few meters away when I hear ws on metal and see Nixon trying to get to my kids.I thrash, kicking her off, and my teeth wrap around her neck. The sickening crack as I lifted her and mmed her down made my teeth ache as her neck broke in jaws.I charge at Nixon, but before I reach him.I am forced to skid across the ground as Valen appears in front of me. He grabs the scruff of Nixon''s neck and rips him back. Nixon goes flying before Valen turns on him. Yet my focus was checking on my kids. My paws hit the side of the car, the broken ss cutting me as I peered in to find the okay, though Vrian had a scratch on his hFCs)[yJI from where it looked like he tried to shove Nixon''s head out of the car. "Dad!" he screams, looking past me, and I turn to find Valen and Nixon fighting, although Valen hadn''t shifted, not having the chance as Nixon lunged at him. But watching him, I found he didn''t need to as he dodged him easily,nding blows against the enormous wolf. Yet my heart nearly stopped as I watched Nixon''s wolfunch across the air straight at him.I sucked in a gasp. About to help when they collided, Nixon''s jaws snapped at his face as he was thrown backward; only Valen pivoted at thest second, his hands grabbing Nixon''s fur and pulling him under him. His arms wrapped around Nixon''s neck as they hit the ground. Nixon was no match for Valen.He was stronger and faster as he wrapped his legs around the beast''s torso. Nixon''s ribs crack under the pressure as Valen''s arms wrap around his neck and he squeezes his legs. Nixon thrashes, snapping his jaws wildly and close to his face when he shrieks. One minute, he was thrashing under Valen''s grip. The next, Valen grabbed Nixon''s bottom jaw with one hand and the top with the other. My stomach heaved when he pried Nixon''s jaw wide, snapping it. His bottom jaw hung limply, and blood sprayed everywhere. Yet still, Valen didn''t let him go as Nixon''s screaming howls cut out. Valen''s canines slip out in his rage as Nixon loses the fight, his body moving slower as he bled out. When I saw Valen''s ws slip free before he punched his hand as he moved on top of him straight down Nixon''s throat, I could hear his insides being torn to pieces by his powerful razor-sharp ws. Blood gushed and spewed out of Nixon''s mouth as he forced his arm to his elbow down his throat before reefing it out and along with it, Nixon''s heart.He drops it standing up.His entire body was drenched from head to toe in Nixon''s blood when his eyes moved to Amber, who was trying to sit up. It was at that moment I realized he was going to kill her, thinking she was involved. "Valen! She tried to help!" I screamed through the mind link as his hand reached for her. He stopped ncing over his shoulder at her just as police cars screamed toward us with their sirens ring loudly. Amber drops her head, but she looks terrible, and the moment he stands up, relief floods me. He turned to face me, and I felt woozy. Valen POV Reaching for Amber, I was furious.They tried to attack my kids! My mate! "Valen! She tried to help!" Everly screams through the link, and my hand pauses before I grab her.I peer over my shoulder at Everly. When I got here, all I saw was my mate fighting for her life and our kids but turning to face her, I was pped with shock.Her wolf was magnificent, strong, and rivaled my own in size. Her gunmetal grey fur was covered in blood as she sways on her feet, and I could fee) the poison running through my system and my lips part.She was covered in bites, and I had no doubt that the poison running through my veins was forsaken venom. Looking at Amber, I could tell she was feeling its effects too when cop cars flooded the parking lot. "Everly?" I stammer as she sways again before running at me.I catch her wolf as she pounces on me, her tongue licking every inch of my face as Ind on my ass. Relief floods me when I feel through the bond to find the venom not affecting her, proving my DNA in her veins was enough to give her some immunity, though I could tell she felt queasy. Yet her relief upon seeing me and the adrenaline overrode the effects. "You''re beautiful," I tell her, pulling her furry head back and stopping her mauling tongue. I look past her at the car.Vrian, I could see talking to his sisters as the police started pulling them from their seats.I sucked in a breath, seeing them thrashing and screaming in the officer''s arms, and I knew they were alright.I had never been so petrified as when I saw Nixon''s wolf''s head inside the window. Everly shifts in my arms, and I rip my shirt off as she does, yanking it over her head before she even had fully shifted back. Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. The moment she did, she rushed toward our kids, and I tugged her back. "I can feel Forsaken venom.Can''t you feel it?" I ask her, and she whimpers, wanting to go to the kids, but we couldn''t risk them getting the blood on them, not knowing if it will affect them. I wrapped my arms around her waist, knowing I was the only thing keeping her from snatching them out of the officer''s arm just as ambnces finally get on the scene. Amber is rushed off and disappears while Vrian is checked over. Nixon only appeared to have scratched his arm, not actually have bitten him. "It''s over love.It''s finally over," I whisper to her, and she inhales deeply, watching our kids being fussed over. My car had run into another, not having turned it off when I mmed on the brakes and jumped out as I pulled in. However, I could not care less about the damage; the main thing was my family was okay. Guilt gnawed at me. What if I didn''t get here in time? What if they had seeded in taking them or Killed them all? Despite all my rampant thoughts, immense relief flooded the bond, and I know this was something that had been an endless worry for her. Not knowing where Nixon was had the entire city on edge.And now we did, dead at our feet. Now, hopefully, we can finally move on with our lives. Chapter 147 Chapter 147 Everly 4 monthster It was scorching hot today, and Macey, Ava, Zoe, and I had just left from the final dress fitting. It wasn¡¯t my dress that needed altering, but Zoe¡¯s this time. Her growing baby bump was getting bigger every day. ¡°I just need to grab bread and milk. I don¡¯t feel like stopping after getting Vrian from school,¡± I tell the girls as we step out of the bridal store. ¡°I¡¯lle; I need to grab a few things too,¡± Macey says, slipping her sunsses on. Zoe pulled the sunshade over the stroller, and we walked the short distance to the shopping center. It was easier to walk than wrangle all three girls in the car and the stroller. Walking into the shops, I sigh as the cold air conditioning sweeps over us. We walk through the shopping center when Macey shrieks, making us all nearly jump out of our skin when she takes off toward a store. ¡°Man, this baby has more clothes than I do at this point,¡± Zoe whines as Macey bounces on her heels, holding up a blue Winnie the Pooh onesie. ¡°No, Macey, please! I am running out of ces to put all his clothes,¡± Zoe whines, but Macey wasn¡¯t hearing it as she wandered into the store. I waited out the front, the store was much too small for me to navigate the stroller around. When Maceyes out, she is holding two bags full of baby boy clothes. ¡°You¡¯re impossible,¡± Zoe tells her, but she thanks her anyway. ¡°So, have you and Tatum had any luck yet?¡± Ava asks her, nudging me aside and taking over the pushing of the stroller. ¡°No. We met one surrogate the other week, but Doc said the chances of finding a she-wolf to donate her eggs is near impossible. So we thought of adopting,¡± she sighs, and I nibble my lip. Tatum and Macey wanted a child, and Macey wanted to give Tatum his own child, but her options were limited. And besides human donor eggs, she had had no luck. ¡°The surrogate?¡± Zoe asks. ¡°A little cooky, and Tatum worried she wasn¡¯t of sound mind to carry and hand the child over at the end,¡± Macey says. ¡°Some things aren¡¯t meant to be,¡± she states as we walk into the grocer. I grab a few groceries, so does Macey. I was excited to get home, and poor Zoe¡¯s feet were so swollen from standing all day, so I knew she wanted to get home too. We were at the checkout, and I had just set my basket down when Zoe nudged me with her elbow toward the self-serve across from us. Looking up, I see Amber. I tried to find her after the attack from Nixon, but as soon as she was better, she left the hospital. And I had no idea where she was even living, though we heard rumors that she was homeless. We constantly checked the homeless shelter to see if she showed up, but never found any sign of her. ¡°Is it weird that I feel terrible for her?¡± Zoe whispers as she scans her minimal items. Macey leans against the register and peers over at her. ¡°No, she lost everything. Her family, her pack. We have been where she is.That is probably why,¡± I tell her. Ava smiles sadly. Amber was our friend growing up, so seeing her down in the dumps bothered me. This was not the Amber we were ustomed to. The clerk bags our items when I hear her self serve register go off, saying her card declined. My stomach sinks, and I peer over to see what she is buying, only to find canned food and toilet paper. Was she really struggling that bad? ¡°Evie.¡± Zoe whispers, nudging me and nodding toward her. Zoe was too kindhearted, and most in her position wouldn¡¯t care for the girl after all the heartache she sat by and kept tight lipped about. But we knew exactly what it was like to be in her shoes. ¡°So who¡¯s going over there?¡± Macey sighs, looking at us expectantly. A smile slips onto my face, and Zoe nods to me. Crossing over to the self-serve area, she tries her card again, only for it to decline before turning to the girl overseeing to ask her to remove some items. ¡°Leave it,¡± I tell the woman, waving her off. Amber jumps as I approach her. She was wary of me as I pulled my card from my wallet. ¡°No, no. It¡¯s fine,¡± Amber tries to stop me from tapping my card on the machine. Her cheeks me as I pay for the few things she has. ¡°You didn¡¯t have to do that,¡± she whispers. ¡°Yeah, I did. Everyone needs help, Amber. Maybe not financially, but no one can say they have never struggled. And those that im they never have, are liars.¡± I tell her when I feel someone brush up against me. Amber steps back, and I notice it is Zoe. She holds her hand out to Amber, one of our business cards in her hand. ¡°If you¡¯re looking for work, we need kitchen staff and cleaners,¡± Zoe tells her. Amber takes the card and looks at it. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. ¡°You would hire me?¡± she asks, clearly shocked. ¡°Why?¡± she says while looking between Zoe and me. However, it was Macey that answered as she came behind us. ¡°Because we have been where you are,¡± Macey tells her, and I see Ava waiting off the side with the girls in the stroller. ¡°You made poor choices but did the right thing in the end,¡± I tell her, turning to leave her be. Zoe wanders off over to Ava. I turn to follow after Macey. ¡°Everly?¡± Amber asks, and I stop. ¡°Thank you,¡± she says, holding up the card and motioning toward her groceries. I nod before walking off. Well, we tried and offered, it is up to her if she epts our help or not. Valen POV A weekter As I sat at the bridal table, I watched her from where I was seated. While I twisted the ring around my finger, a smile appeared on my lips. Taking off the ring, I stare down at the engraving on the inside of the ring. Atst, she had given herself to me, and now she would always be able to remind me how fortunate I am to have her in my life. ¡®My love, My mate, My Alpha.¡¯the engraving read. I wasplete with my Luna by my side, I was complete with my family, and I wasplete with myself, content with the life we had built. My feeling ofpleteness when I watched her dance with the girls and the children was something I had never experienced before. It was thest piece to put everything together, and she looked stunning. It was the perfect finish to everything. Her hair was pinned back from her face, and her hair cascaded down her back in soft dark curls. Small flowers were pinned into her hair. She looked like some sort of princess in a fairytale. I couldn¡¯t wait to mess up her hair to see those curls turn messy and damp as I mmed into her from behind. She wore an ivory and beigece dress that hugged every curve of her body, ring out at her hips in pale silk that seemed to enhance her every curve in a subtle way. Curves I couldn¡¯t wait to trace with my hands and mouth. As her arms were covered with palece, glimpses of flesh were visible, leaving me with a desire to press my lips to them and taste her milky skin. The back was open, revealing skin that I knewter would be covered in marks from the brutal way that I was going to fuck her. I couldn¡¯t wait for the night to be over, so I could take her back to the suite and tangle my fingers into her dress as I stripped her from her. The perfect vision that she was now had me anticipating the night¡¯s end. To see the meticulously done mascara smeared across her cheeks as tears streamed down her cheeks, and she lost herself again to me. I wanted that skin to be marked up for the world to see that she was mine, and now she was, in every way possible. I watch her as she turns her head towards me and waves for me to dance with her. A smile spreads across my face as I get up from my seat and make my way across the dance floor, where she had spent the majority of the night. When I walked up behind her, my hands fell onto her hips, and I nced down at her. I saw she was tipsy, her cheeks flushed, her skin shimmering under the fairy lights. She turns in my arms, wrapping her arms around my neck, and I lean down, brushing my lips against her softly. Although the music was too fast for the way we stood swaying from side to side, I couldn¡¯t care less as everyone, and everything slipped away, and it was as if there was only us here alone, as if nothing else mattered. Through months of chasing her, I regained her love and trust. There was a time when I thought she would be the biggest regret in my life. As it turned out, she was my redemption. Chapter 148 Chapter 148 Everly POV Another Four weekster. ¡°Keep your eyes closed,¡± Valen said as I walked blindly with my hands out in front of me when I heard Macey and Zoe¡¯s voices. ¡°Is that Zoe and Macey?¡± I gasped, trying to lift Valen¡¯s blindfold over my eyes. He ps my hand away, and I reach out blindly before pping someone. ¡°Ouch! That you Everly?¡± Macey asks. Valen blindfolded me before we left and refused to tell me where he was taking me. ¡°Oops, sorry,¡± I tell her. ¡°Wait, are you blindfolded too?¡± I ask her. ¡°Yeah, and Tatum sucks with directions. I tripped over the gutter back there,¡± Macey growls. ¡± My bloody knee is killing,¡± she growls. ¡°Kids slow down and away from the paint; it¡¯s still wet!¡± Marcus screeches just as the sound of their voices reach my ears. A hand grips my arm. ¡°d I¡¯m not the only blind one around. I was bing paranoid he walking me off a cliff,¡± Zoe says, and I know it, her hand on my arm. It slides down to grip my hand and gives me a squeeze just as my hand finds Macey¡¯s. ¡°Those pricks conspired against us!¡± Macey hisses. Though with them here, I had a good idea of where I was, which was surprising. Valen said the Hotel wouldn¡¯t be ready. He had every excuse to keep us away from this ce, from a gas leak to plumbing issues and electrical faults. ¡°I swear if they have ruined our hotel?¡± Zoe hisses, and I chuckle, knowing there would be blood. ¡°Maybe the cliff was a better idea,¡± Marcus mutters, and Valenughs behind me. ¡°Okay, can we take these off? We figured out where we are?¡± Macey says. ¡°One second, you have to lift your legs and step up onto the wall,¡± Valen says. ¡°Wall?¡± I ask, shuffling my feet, not wanting to trip. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t be an issue for you, Macey. You¡¯re good at lifting ya legs around ya ears,¡± Tatum snickers, and she growls. ¡°Language, you brute! Or I will jam your legs behind your head and test your flexibility,¡± she growls at him. 1 My feet hit something, and I know it¡¯s the wall Valen mentioned. ¡°You couldn¡¯t have walked around the wall,¡± ¡°Na, too much entertainment watching you all trying to lift ya legs high enough,¡± Marcusughs. All three of themugh behind us, earning growls from us. Valen grips my hips, cing me on the little wall. It wasn¡¯t very high yet, I wobbled, holding my bnce, FRYCM? NL felt the girls wobbling on their feet too. ¡°Now stay there. And don¡¯t fall, or you¡¯ll ruin the garden bed beneath you,¡± Valen says. I sigh impatiently, wanting to take the blindfold off. ¡°Okay, you can all remove them now,¡± Marcus calls, and I rip mine off at the same time the girls do. I untangle my hair from it before looking up. We all gasped simultaneously at the sight before us. Our Hotel was restored to its former glory, but that wasn¡¯t what made me gasp; I knew what the ns looked like. I was shocked that the old fountain was gone that sat in the center of the driveway. In its ce was a huge statue. Zoe cups her hands over her mouth in awe, and Macey squeezes my hand as we look up at ourselves. The statue was amazing. Vrie stood up the top, and a photo I had of Vrie was used, but instead of the banner she held in that photo, she held the sign for our new Hotel. ¡®Vige Retreat¡¯ Beneath her was a statue of Macey, Me, and Zoe. All standing at the bottom, on a pile of tools and rubble. Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. We all had our arms cradled, a baby in all our arms, and I knew they represented Taylor, Vrian, and Casey and our struggles to get this ce up and running. ¡°This is amazing,¡± Macey whispers, her arm sliding around my waist as she rests her head on my shoulder, and Zoe does the same. ¡°It¡¯s perfect,¡± Zoe whispered as I stared up at the women who inspired us all. Vrie would have loved it, and I knew she would be watching. Knew we made her proud because I was proud of what we built. We had built something, something extraordinary. Something that made all our hardship so worth it. Zoe snorts, choking on a sob, and I rub her back, looking at her when she points toward the massive statue. ¡°Look at the shirts,¡± she says, pointing at our uniforms. The detail was magnificent, and no wonder Valen was putting it off for so long. It would have taken ages to have made. Even the little details like our name tags on our shirts were included, and I read the tiny little detail on them. Instead of our names, it had something else. ¡®Watch me! ¡°We watched,¡± Tatum says. ¡°We saw,¡± Marcus adds. ¡°And we loved you all more,¡± Valen finishes. Macey snickers. And Zoe and I laughed at them. ¡°Shall we go inside?¡± Marcus asks us, and we all nod eagerly. Walking into the restaurant, we find all our old staff waiting, dressed in their uniforms, the ce decorated and food on all the tables. ¡°Wee home,¡± Valen whispers behind me, and I see Ava walk across the restaurant with the girls in the stroller, a huge grin on her face. ¡°Wait, who¡¯s having a baby?¡± Macey asks, pointing toward the back of the room where a baby bunting hung along the wall. Cakes and candy decorated the tables in that corner. ¡°We decided to kill two birds with one stone, the grand reopening,¡± Valen says, and I gape, looking at my sister, but she shakes her head. ¡°You said we would wait,¡± Zoey hisses at Marcus. My eyes widen and so does Macey¡¯s. Zoe nced at her nervously, and I knew she was worried about telling Macey from the look on her face. She blushes and Macey¡¯s mouth opens and closes like a fish in her shock. ¡°You¡¯re pregnant?¡± she whispers. Rushing over and cupping Zoe¡¯s non-existent belly. ¡°Yes, I was trying to hold off telling everyone until I was showing,¡± she mumbles. ¡°You¡¯re pregnant!¡± Macey gushes excitedly before the smile falls off her facepletely. ¡°Wait, you¡¯re pregnant, and they knew before us?¡± she says, outraged, pointing to Tatum and Valen. ¡°Marcus wasn¡¯t supposed to tell,¡± Zoe growls at him, and he smirks. ¡°Oh, I bet it¡¯s gonna be¨C¡± Macey starts to predict when Marcus mps a hand over her mouth. ¡°You quiet with your witchy voodoo. It will be one baby. One!¡± Marcus says before shrieking and ripping his hand away from her mouth. ¡°Ew, you licked me,¡± Marcus says, wiping his hand on his jeans. Zoe and Iugh. ¡° Oh, let me help you open all your presents,¡± Macey gushes excitedly, steering Zoe toward the table at the back. I watch them wander off when an arm drops across my shoulders. Looking up, I see it is my father. ¡°Your mother would have loved this,¡± he whispers as I rest my head on his shoulder. ¡°Mothers, you were as much Val¡¯s as Valen is,¡± Kalen says, gripping my shoulder and leaning down to peck my head. I nodded, wiping a stray tear at their words. ¡°Yes, they would have,¡± I whispered. ¡°Bloody dust,¡± I curse. ¡°Terrible isn¡¯t it,¡± Kalen mutters, passing me a handkerchief. ¡°Pop, pop,¡± Vrian screeches, wanting Kalen¡¯s attention. ¡°I have been summoned,¡± he says, wandering off. Dad sniffles and I look up to find his nose all red and his eyes puffy as looked around the ce. I offer him the handkerchief, and he dabs his eyes before clearing his throat. ¡°You really showed them, bub. Showed me,¡± he says, and I nod. Unable to form words. ¡°I¡¯m proud of you, proud of what you built and the Alpha you have be. Most of all, I am proud that you¡¯re my daughter,¡± he says, pressing his lips to the side of my head and wrapping his arms around my shoulders. ¡°I love you, kiddo,¡± ¡°I love you too,¡± I tell him, squeezing him back. We stand there for a bit, watching everyone. ¡°So, what¡¯s next?¡± dad asks, and I look up at him, resting my chin on his chest. This man was once my hero. Then my rival, but now he was just my dad. ¡°What¡¯s next is you walk me down the aisle,¡± I tell him and he chokes, nodding his head and crushing me against him. ¡°I¡¯d be honored,¡± he whispers, squeezing me tight. Chapter 149: Epilogue Chapter 149: Epilogue Everly POV A yearter Zoe and I sat with Valen and Marcus, as we waited for Doc to tell me how many eggs they were able to extract that were viable. "Man, I have never been so nervous in all my life!" I whisper to Zoe. "I know! My hands are shaking," she whispers. "What if she says no?" Zoe worries as she bounces her son, Noah on herp. Macey was not able to find a surrogate or an egg donor. Zoe hade to me and told me she wanted to offer to carry a baby for Macey, yet she wasn¡¯t sure she wasfortable carrying a baby that was biologically hers. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. So after speaking with Valen and telling him what Zoe wanted to do and that we just needed an egg donor. He sighed heavily. "You want to donate your eggs?" I nodded my head.I needed his blessing, because it was a big ask for him knowing biologically the child would be mine and Tatum¡¯s. Though I was not carrying this child and it was just eggs I had no intention of using, this was not my child but theirs and Zoe was the vessel. "As if I would say no," Valen had said, so Zoe and I had gone to all the appointments, made sure everything was safe and would work out before deciding to present it to Macey. We didn¡¯t want to get her hopes up only for them to crash down again.We had all witnessed her heartache when she couldn''t find a donor or surrogate.She desperately wanted to give Tatum a baby, though we all knew he was content with Taylor, but in Macey¡¯s eyes, their little family wasn¡¯tplete. We wanted to help herplete it. The door opens and Doc walks out and I think all four of us suddenly forgot how to breathe as we stared at his desk as he sat down and went over his notes. "Seven viable eggs, you just have to ask now," Doc tells us and we all let out a breath simultaneously. I squeeze Zoe¡¯s hand excitedly and she squeezes mine back.We had it all nned on how we would ask her. A little corny, but we were excited to see their faces. "We will ask at the barbeque tonight," I tell Zoe and she smiles, while Noah babbles on herp excitedly, eating his hEAp*[VNNs having no idea what is going on. The packhouse was full of family. Kalen and Dad were wrangling the girls. Ava was chasing the kids around the backyard while they pretended the grass was Lava and Ava was theva monster chasing them around the huge climbing frame they yed on. The smell of sausage and steak on the barbeque made my mouth water as I carried a sd bowl out and ced it on the table. Tatum was with Marcus and Valen as they manned the meat. Zoe was giving Noah his bottle and talking to Macey about the uing event at the hotel and arrangements that needed to be made. "Zoe!" I sing out and she looks up at me, her lips curling up at the edges as she stands. She passes Noah to Macey. "Can you give him to Marcus? I just have to help Everly for a second," Zoe says. "Sure," she says, taking him while Zoe makes her way over to me. Macey sets her beer down, eyeing us as we disappear back inside. We walk into the kitchen and I grab a boiled egg from the fridge and chuckle at the silliness of it, while Zoe finds the little stic medical diagram of a womb she bought off ebay. "Ready?" I ask her, grabbing the paperwork showing she had seven viable eggs if she wanted to use them. Walking out the back, she was talking to Marcus with Noah perched on her hip. Marcus, spotting using out, nudges Valen who ces the tongs down. "Tatum?" he called out, who was now talking to my father. He waves him over and Macey was far too distracted talking to Marcus, who swiftly steals Noah from her arms just as we stop behind her. Tatum raises an eyebrow at us as we stand with our hands behind our backs. We both fall to one knee in some strange proposal position, making us giggle. Yet she still doesn''t turn around. Tatum looks at us as if we have lost the plot before clearing his throat loudly and sipping his beer. Still, Macey was absorbed with lecturing Marcus about god knows what when I sigh and reach up, tugging the back of her shirt and she spins around and looks down. I hold up the boiled egg and chuckle. She stares at us amused, and it is obvious she thinks we are just being silly.She takes the egg. "If we are having an egg and spoon race, I am totally winning that shit!" she states. "Macey, will you let me be your egg donor?" I ask her and her smile slips off her face as she gapes at me, at the same Zoe offers her the little stic gyno womb. "Macey will you put your baby in me?" she asks and Macey takes the stic womb. Valen reaches down, plucking the doctor¡¯s paperwork from my hands and passing it toher. "Wait? Are you Joking?" she asks, staring between us and Valen taps the paper showing her the number of Viable eggs she has, and Tatum reads over her shoulder. "Wait, you''re both okay with this?" Tatum asks, looking between Marcus and Valen. "Of course!" They both say simultaneously. "We can have a baby?" Macey asks, stunned, her hands shaking as she stares at the boiled egg and little womb. "Is that a yes? Because my knees are killing, kneeling like this," Zoe whines. "Are you sure?" Macey asks, tears glistening in her eyes and we both nod. "Positive! Let us do this for you," Zoe tells her and she sniffles but nods. "So that¡¯s a yes?" I ask, my knees also aching at the position, yet all she does is nod her head, unable to form words. "Yes!" she finally croaks out and Zoe and I beam with excitement for her. "We''re going to have a baby!" she shrieks, ripping us into her arms and crushing us against her breasts since she was taller than us both. Tatum, Marcus and Valen join in on our group hug. As we all separate and Tatum screams out, "We¡¯re having a baby!" while hugging Macey and kissing her head. "You¡¯re having a baby," Iugh as the kids all scream excitedly, rushing over to join in the celebrations of our little vige growingrger. THE END¡­ The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!