“It’s not your fault that you needed to step away. I can’t imagine how I’d survive it if Sofia ever left me. But your kids need you now. You’ve had time to recover. They accepted your need to be away from the pack, but now it’s time to show up again.”
“I genuinely thought I was doing the right thing by staying away. It was right for me, but…”
“But not for them,” I finish when he trails off. “You need to start putting them first. Better a present parent than a perfect one.”
“Yeah, okay. You’re probably right. I’ll go see Ryan in the cells in the morning and go to Sofia after that,” he says, his voice gruff with emotion.
He trails off and hangs his head low. I stand up and place my hand on his shoulder.
“We can’t change the past, Alpha. Trust me, I am aware of that. But we can work on the present. If you keep choosing to stay away, you’re going to bury your son and leave your daughter to pick up the pieces. Again.”
“You really love her, don’t you?”
“Obsessively and undeniably,” I admit. “She’s everything. And I’m not going to let her lose anyone else. Not Ryan. Not you.”
“Tomorrow. I’ll come to see them both tomorrow.” His voice is rough, but there’s a little steel in his tone, faint but still, a hint of the old Alpha is back.
I stand and grip his shoulder before I leave. He doesn’t flinch. Good. There might still be some hope yet.
Chapter Forty-Two
Luca
By the time I leave the cabin, the night air feels sharper, cleaner. My wolf paces inside me, restless. The bond tugs at me hard now, a physical ache under my skin. Half-complete, half-crazed.
I should feel relief—Elliot agreed. But all I feel is urgency. The bond screams at me to get back to my mate.
I check in with patrol and Ryan, and it all takes too damn long. By the time I finally get the chance to head back home to my mate, it’s been hours. My wolf is itching to get close to her. Having a half-completed bond is even worse than before. It’s like my skin burns with the need to be near her. Touching her. Tasting her. Being inside of her.
I poke at the mindlink to let her know I’m on my way, but she has me blocked out. A weight settles in my stomach as icy dread creeps up my spine. I push at the link again as I pick up my pace, racing towards my cabin.
I fling the door open and inhale her scent. It’s old; she hasn’t been here for at least an hour. She’s certainly not naked and in my bed like I told her to be.
A snarl rips from me before I choke it down. I reach for the bond, that thin, invisible thread.
It’s not a GPS tracker, or an exact science. But it’s a tug in the right direction. As if she’s holding an invisible string and pulling me towards her. Teasing me. And even though she’s stopped me from mindlinking her, I can feel her emotions.
Excitement flitters through me, but it’s not mine. No, this sense of anticipation is coming squarely from that bratty mate of mine. She’s craving for me to put her in her place. Dying for me to teach her a lesson.
And I have no intention of ever disappointing my princess again.
I follow the thread, feeling myself getting closer with every step I take deeper into the forest. Until finally, the smell of pine needles and fresh air gives way to the tantalizing scent of my female.
Sweet, intoxicating, threaded with desire.
My naked female. Sitting on a blanket, in a clearing. The possessiveness slams into me, savage and wild. Anyone could stumble across her like this, see what belongs only to me. A snarl rips free before I can stop it as I stalk towards her. Sofia spreads her long, limber legs, revealing her glistening pussy. Her eyes are hooded, and she’s biting her plump lip.
I could take her here. Make her scream my name so loud that every bird in every tree in this forest flees. I could make love to her. Worship her like the goddess she is.
But that’s not what my brat wants.
“Run.”
“Wh… what?” she asks as her breathing picks up and her pulse thunders so fast, I can see it in her neck.
“I told you to wait in the bed. A good girl would have waited. A good girl would have gotten rewarded,” I snarl and bare my teeth. “But you’re not a good girl, are you?”
The sweet scent of her arousal intensifies, and she pulls her legs together again. Trying to ease the need that only I can. She shakes her head.
