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He knew it was the right thing to do.
It didn’t matter how nervous he was; once he placed the ring in her hand, those nerves disappeared.
He was certain of one thing: his mother would have approved of the choice he had made with his partner. Harper made the day just a little bit easier to bear.
She was everything light, and given where she came from, that was a triumph in and of itself. She had the strength and perseverance to carve a life of her own, despite the obstacles she faced, and she did it with grace, dignity, and optimism. Harper had the right amount of sweetness and stubbornness to balance his domineering presence.
She gave him the freedom to be himself when he returned home. Having the opportunity to be selfish and grab her with both hands, he considered her his—The one thing he wanted and now held without regret.
He could hold his head high and be proud of who she was and who he was. For once in his life, he didn’t feel guilty about seizing happiness since he would do whatever was necessary to ensure her happiness.
Harper would become frustrated with him for making it all about her. She would give him just as much as he would give her. He knew that.
She gave without thought, which was one of the reasons why he loved her. Because she had pushed herself to accept more, to be a better version of herself, her beast had realised what the female didn’t know yet−that they were meant to be together.
The two of them were a good match.
Yeah, he knew there was no such thing as a “perfect person,” but there was a perfect person for every individual, and in this case, he knew that she was perfect for him and the ring. The perfect individual for him was a quiet female who possessed a great deal of strength that others couldn’t see at first glance but which was there, a deep well of strength.
When he saw her proudly wearing that ring this morning, he felt like he was the luckiest male alive. His chest had puffed out, and he wanted nothing more than to take her back to bed and show her how happy he was, but he knew they wouldn’t be leaving the bed once he got her there.
There was still a feeling of sadness in the back of his mind, so he held himself together. He willed himself to stay strong, knowing that he had to face the future no matter what. The feeling of betrayal that his team must be experiencing and the thought that Numbers may not trust them as a result, yet another betrayal must weigh heavily on his team as well as it did on him.
He understood that for the team to move forward, they would have to find a way to rebuild trust and work together, despite the present feelings of betrayal and sadness. After speaking with the Alphas, he would speak with his team. They would benefit from his personal reassurance and the Alphas’ reassurance.
It was important for them to know Nick didn’t doubt them. For him, the thought that they had lost faith in him because of one traitorous weasel was unbearable.
It was evident that he was receiving strange looks as he walked toward the hub. Upon entering the lift, he sighed in relief, hidden from curious eyes, scrutinising his braid and face.
His thoughts were heavy as he entered the Alpha’s floor, nodding at Jennifer when she glanced at him. Suddenly, she walked around the desk and hugged him. He was surprised by the hug, but he accepted it. She didn’t normally express her emotions to him, so he found this rare hug amusing. She held on tight.
“I am truly sorry about Greg.”
He cleared his throat. “Thanks, Jennifer. Who’s in today?”
“Cain has just left to check on Lila and the little one. He has been extremely vigilant since…” Jennifer grimaced and clicked her tongue. “Since we were all betrayed,” she pointedly stated, ensuring that he understood it was not his responsibility to bear the burden.
He nodded in acknowledgement and asked, “Drey, Mallen, or Apollo?” While Apollo was less familiar to him than the others, he had shown himself to be a thoughtful and thorough leader.
“Apollo isn’t here. Apollo has been pissed off since he learned that Perdy and Drake were in danger,” Jennifer said. He raised an eyebrow; he hadn’t expected Apollo to worry about her. “I know! I think he’s dealing with sudden dad syndrome and a hard-headed Alpha daughter who expects a lot of him.”
“Do you believe he should have done more?” he asked curiously.
He had never heard anyone speak ill of Apollo. Jennifer’s relationship with both of them was difficult since she had raised Perdy. Jennifer had given everything she could to the young Alpha, her home, her open heart, and her acceptance.
She had taught Perdy to be who she was.
Perdy had grown up with a deep mistrust of Apollo, believing him to be untrustworthy and dangerous. Nick would dare to say that if Jennifer hadn’t been there, Perdy might have fractured and wouldn’t have made it as far as she did.
“He couldn’t have done more.” Jennifer frowned and plucked at a thread on her suit jacket as she leaned against her desk. It was the most disconcerting thing he had ever seen her do. “The person he was when he was first freed is very different from the person he is today, and that is what makes him struggle. He wants more time with her, and I believe he would like to parent her, but she’s grown up. It’s…difficult.”
“I know how it feels. I remember Karen’s volatile nature when younger,” he said, shaking his head with a fond smile. That abrasive teenage roughness where they think the world was against them.
“I wish they would talk, but it’s not down to me,” she said. He made a sound, surprised that she hadn’t gotten involved. She shrugged her shoulders. “Apollo was my friend first. I made sure he understood how much I loved Perdy. I won’t interfere with their relationship as long as he doesn’t touch her in anger. I’m taking a step back and trusting Apollo to handle the situation,” she declared. “They can face their issues together.”
“You don’t take sides. Isn’t that extremely difficult? Doesn’t Perdy want you to?”
“Perdy seems to have given up on him,” Jennifer said nervously, her pinched expression showing how anxious she was. “I wouldn’t mind if I thought that was how she truly felt.”
