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Noah flushed a little and looked a little ashamed. “No,” he lied, and I couldn’t blame him for not wanting to remember it. But this wasn’t about shame; this was about understanding—both showing him how to understand and showing him that people can understand him, too.
“Well, you saw a toy you really, really wanted there, but it was a really expensive toy, and I was worried it wouldn’t be a good one for the kids room. And when I said that, you got so, so angry. So angry that you couldn’t hold all the feelings in your body anymore, right?”
He nodded. “We had to leave early ‘cause I was crying,” he said sheepishly.
“We had to leave early ‘cause you were screaming really loud, buddy,” I said. “But then we went out to the car, and after you felt better, we had a nice talk about it, remember?”
He nodded, fussing with the knitting on Marley’s sweater.
“Remember what you told me?”
“That I felt like my feelings were too big,” he said.
“Yeah,” I said. “And sometimes, feelings are too big for grown-ups, too. Sometimes, it makes us act out when we normally would be okay. And that’s why Ashton did what he did, because for a few seconds, his feelings got too big, and he didn’t know where to put them.”
Ashton nodded, looking at me and then at Noah. “But it wasn’t okay that I did that,” he reiterated. “And for what it’s worth, I feel really, really bad about it. And I’m working really hard on changing how I think and feel about things so I don’t do it again, okay?”
Noah looked over at Ashton again, his eyes a little wider, a little more understanding. He gave a little nod. “Okay. I’ll see how you do, and when I’m ready to not be angry anymore, I’ll tell you it’s okay.”
“Sounds like a deal,” Ashton said. “Would it be okay if I still watched movies with you tonight? Even though you’re mad at me?”
Noah nodded. “Yeah. Because you said you really liked the movie and pizza. And I like movies and pizza, too.”
“Awesome,” Ashton said with a smile. “Thanks, man.”
After that, we all settled in to watch the movie. Pizza was passed around and divvied up, and a few pack members left to make popcorn and get a bucket of ice for drinks. About half an hour into the movie, most of the food was gone, and people had started to shift into their lycan forms to snuggle up together and watch the idyllic animated movie we’d put on.
Even Noah shifted near the middle of the movie, snuggling up between Marley and me on top of a plush blanket. Sure enough, by the time the end credits rolled, Noah was out like a light.
Most of everyone else had started to trickle out of the room, seeming to be in good spirits, chit-chatting and cracking jokes. Ashton stayed behind, though.
“I’ll go get Noah tucked in,” Marley said quietly as she hefted him up into her arms. “See you in a bit.”
She was giving Ashton and me some privacy. Thoughtful of her, really, even though I wanted nothing more in that moment than to go crawl into bed with her. Still, I stayed behind on the couch. Ashton fussed with the seam of his worn jeans as Marley finally left the room, leaving the two of us alone.
“What’s up, Ash?” I asked him.
He looked at me, and that bit of tension flagged in his jaw again. “I just...was wondering when you’re going to punish me, I guess,” he said. “I know I really fucked up and that you’re probably making me wait on purpose, but it’s sort of been eating me up.”
I furrowed my brow and crossed my legs, propping my chin on my hand. “I already punished you,” I pointed out. “You did clean-up duty on your own that day.”
He looked at me like I was insane.
“What?” I asked.
“Alpha, I—don't get me wrong, I’m not a glutton for punishment or anything—but I almost ripped your throat out. I came after your mate and your only son. Cleaning duty is a little light, isn’t it?”
“You almost did, but you didn’t. I mean, yeah, if you try to hurt the people I love again or keep getting lippy about the lycan supremacist bullshit, then you’re going to eventually get your ass handed to you,” I said. “But I don’t deal in vindictiveness. Especially when I know your history and the trauma you’ve been through and are actively going through. You got in a stupid fight over cleaning, you got to eat a big slice of humble pie—a few times now, actually.”
He frowned, and I tilted my head. “Isn’t this supposed to be good news for you?” I asked.
“For me? Yeah, I guess. But maybe not for the pack at large. How are you going to keep people in line if you don’t make an example of me? What if someone else goes after your mate or your son?”
“Don’t think of me as too cavalier when I say this, but Marley has already been through the wringer. I know she can take a lot. She’s real fucking tough.”
“The bite, right?” he
“It’s not my story to tell, kid,” I said. “But I’m sure if you have an opportunity to get to know her, she’ll eventually tell you what she’s been through and the stuff she continues to go through.”
