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"Nuh uh." I gasped. "Tell me you didn't go along with it, did you?"
"I did."
"Byron!"
"Let me finish." Byron held up a hand to stop me from chewing him out. "Carly rightfully called him out for offering such a challenge, and while I agree that challenging him for the right to claim my fate was preposterous, I did it anyway. Not for him, but for myself. I wanted to prove to myself that I could take care of her. That I could protect her from assholes like Alex. I had no doubt I'd win since I was bigger than him, and likely been in more fights. He carried himself like a spoiled trust fund pup."
"And I take it you won, as predicted?" I asked.
"I did. Granted Carly was still mad that I accepted the challenge for her hand like she was some soulless prize, she was still grateful that I was willing to fight for our right to be together. Alex, understandably stormed off, and since the wedding was already being put together, we took advantage and got married."
"You took his place at the wedding he was planning to have?" I couldn't hide how shocked and amused I was. Byron not only took his wife, but his wedding day as well. Literally. Honestly, it was impressive.
He shrugged. "Isn't it fitting?"
He had me there. I liked the upbeat tone of his voice when he spoke of Carly. Watching him tell his story, I knew he loved her. Considering how bad my fated mate was, hearing successful fated pairings like him and Carly, or Javier and Del, had me feeling that Fate sometimes did get it right. But I also knew this was the calm before the storm. After all, Carly was dead, and I had a feeling I wasn't going to like how it happened.
"So, what happened next?" I asked.
His happy mood faulted slightly as he continued his story. "She moved to Kingsrose. Moved in with me in the lodge. Everyone adored her, especially Joaquin. We were together for three years. I thought everything was perfect. But then Alex kept trying to contact her. At first, Carly ignored the many calls, texts and voicemails he left for her. Then he started calling the lodge's work number and had other people calling for her."
"He was harassing her," I said, hating the guy more and more.
Byron nodded. "He was obsessed with wanting to talk with her. It got to the point that I had to file a restraining order against him and inform his pack alpha of his harassment. I wanted him to leave us alone so we could be happy and get ready for the baby's arrival."
"Woah, woah, wait!" I cut him off. "Get ready for the what's arrival?"
"The baby." His voice rumbled as if saying the word was hard to do.
My hand pressed against my heart. "She was pregnant?"
"Yeah. A boy. Carly and I were so excited and were counting down the days before we could meet our son."
I was about to ask him where his son was now, but something about the way he said, the baby, and how he seemed to choke out the words to express how excited he was to meet his son didn't fill me with hope that his kid was around. I gasped and covered my nose and mouth with both hands, minding the rose that I still held onto. "No. No, don't tell me."
Byron's eyes looked glassy as he said, "Carly was still pregnant when she died. The baby didn't survive either."
My heart shattered into a thousand pieces for Byron. It was hard to get any air in my lungs. What could I possibly say to that? A simple apology was nowhere near enough to express how sorry I was for his loss. On top of his fated mate, a woman he fought for to prove that he could protect, he lost his unborn child. His only child, if I had to guess. This was a man who said himself that Fate was absolute. He believed there was no mistakes when it came to fate. So, how could fate do that to him? How could fate take his family away from him?
"Byron," I whispered. "I-I don't know what to say. But... how did—"
"Alex," Byron interrupted. "He killed her."
"He what?" I shouted with rage and horror.
"Carly couldn't take Alex harassing her anymore so she finally called him. Alex begged to see her so they could talk, and she agreed. I didn't want her to go. I had this feeling in the pit of my stomach that if she went, something bad was going to happen. I pleaded with her not to go, but she assured me that she would be fine. She wanted closure from Alex so she and I could finally live in peace. Carly's the kind of person that, once she made up her mind, there was no stopping her. So, I let her go. I felt her passing the second it happened. The thread of our fated bond snapping. It felt like a knife was plunged into my heart. The pain was nothing like I'd ever felt before. I knew, I just knew, that she died. Then I got the call that confirmed it. Not only had she died, but her child didn't make it either."
I ran to Byron and hugged him as tight as I could. His arms instinctively went around my waist and held me. There were no words exchanged between us. There wasn't need for any. I could feel Byron's pain right down to my bones, and I wished to Mother Moon there was something, anything, that I could do to take it away from him. I felt drips on my shoulder, and knew he was crying. I let him, since I was also crying.
I couldn't fathom how he managed to carry on the rest of his life after Carly's passing. If I were in his shoes, I didn't think I'd want to live. The fact he was able to move forward and make it to where we were now was a testament to his strength and his heart. Byron and Rowan, two men who lost the love of their lives, were now here with me. With the Renegades Pack. These men deserved more than that they'd been given.
"Thank you," I finally said. "Thank you for being open enough to tell me about her, and about your son. I can't even begin to tell you how sorry I am that you lost them."
"I appreciate the kind words, Rosie. I really do." Byron gently patted my back, then surprised me by pressing a firm kiss to my temple.
I wasn't sure if he realized what he did, and I wasn't going to call him out on it. I loved the gesture, nonetheless. I pulled back then gave him a hard stare. "Please tell me you killed Alex. Because if he's still alive out there somehow, I swear to Mother Moon, I will hunt him down and do it myself."
Though he still looked to be grieving the loss of his family, Byron managed to grin at my not-so subtle threat. "You don't need to waste your energy on him. His pack already punished him with the death penalty as a means to keep the peace between their pack and Pierce's."
