Page 69 of The Forbidden Alpha

“He has your eyes,” I said, my voice dropping to an accusatory whisper. “Is Odis his father?”

Her brow curled as irritation flashed. “The past is the past. We’re not doing this,” she hissed, her gaze cooling as she regained control. “I owe you no explanations for my past.”

“That’s hypocritical after what you put me through last night. The tables are reversed now and you think we can just ignore the fact you have a child? I deserve to give you the same you gave me. If my past can be held against me, so can yours! You’re my mate, and a secret love child is kind of fucking big!” I roared, the weight of a child was suffocating me. “Do you love him?”

“Enough.”

Odis stepped directly in front of her. He didn’t raise his tone; he didn’t even look angry. His stance was protective—of what was mine. His ability to stay levelheaded when the world was crumbling beneath my feet made my blood boil.

“This isn’t the time. You’re bleeding through your clothes, and you’re scaring my son. You’re her mate. That’s the end of it.”

He wasn’t bragging. Only speaking the truth, but my heart hammered in my chest. He’d confirmed my fears. Odis’s son. And Olivia knew him. The math was adding up and I didn’t want to finish it.

Had I become my own nightmare?

The moment the heavy doors sealed, the suffocating pressure of a dominant fury flooded the room, but it was Adea the crowd surged toward. Terrified pack members, weeping mothers, and traumatized citizens began to swarm her by the pillar, pressing close with a desperate need for a protector. They had seen her bring the children back; they saw the rogue blood staining her arms. Even running on pure, empty adrenaline, Adea didn’t shrink away from them. She braced her feet against the stone and met their frantic gazes, offering the silent, steady strength of a Luna while I stood paralyzed in my own head. Ethan closed the distance, his obsidian eyes zeroing in on her as his aura expanded to swallow the space around her.

Behind us the doors closed and murmurs of relief moved over the hall.

Ethan had returned.

He wasn’t wearing the mask. I’d only ever seen him behind iron and spikes—the Mad King ruling his kingdom. Without it, he just looked like a man. Sharp jaw, dark circles, green eyes cutting through smoke. Somehow his humanity made it worse.

His gaze swept the room, his green eyes fervent as they zeroed in on my best friend. He strode past us without a glance, heading straight for her. His hands gripped her arms as his head dropped to hers.

“Why didn’t you stay upstairs?” he growled, his eyes flashing to the gold of his wolf.

My body tensed as Adea lifted her chin. Her body was trembling from exhaustion, but she refused to shrink back. She didn’t so much as flinch.

“I know what you wanted, but I was needed. I helped save some of the kids at the elementary,” she said, her voice small, but firm. “Aren’t I the future Luna? I needed to do something.”

His gaze trailed over her face before he turned away from her, facing the onlooking crowd. “The threat has been eliminated. Rogues made it through the perimeter gates. They got far enough to attack the residential sectors, our main hub, and the elementary school. We will be reinforcing our boundary lines, enacting immediate mandatory border rotations, and reconstruction will begin tomorrow. A mass memorial service will be held for the dead.”

“In the meanwhile, please return to your homes and spend the day with your families. If your home was destroyed, Olivia will help you make arrangements.”

Beside me, my mate snapped to attention. She moved away from me without another word, stepping straight into the fray as displaced families began rushing toward her for direction. The crowd slowly dispersed.

Ethan’s gaze returned to us. He looked at Adea first, his eyes doing the work his words couldn’t—checking every inch of her.

Then he looked at me, and to Odis.

“My office. Give us ten minutes.”

He turned, his hand finding the small of Adea’s back as he guided her away. She glanced back at me once—a look that said hold it together—and then they were gone.

The hall continued to empty around us. Odis passed River to a woman nearby—young, familiar with the handoff, the boy going without protest—and turned back.

He didn’t watch River go.

I did.

We stood in the thinning crowd. When he spoke, his voice was level. “I’m not your enemy.”

“You’re also not stepping aside,” I said. He didn’t answer that. He straightened his jacket, smoothing the torn shoulder, and scoffed. There was a sadness in his side profile, and I hated noticing it.

“The spot beside her is yours.” I stared at him. It wasn’t a concession—his tone held none of the bitterness I would have used. I didn’t know what to do with a man who loved her and stepped back anyway. It made me want to hate him and I couldn’t find the reason.

“Is he yours?” I asked. He looked at me then.