AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I chuckled. “You said you got nightmares the last time you tried that one.”
“But it’s just a video game, Mom.”
“It’s a video game with scary stuff.”
He huffed and pouted slightly. As much as he tried to hide his pout, it still came through, and it was something that always made my forced smile turn genuine.
I ruffled his hair. “How about we try watching it with the lights on?”
“Can I watch it too?” Adhara asked. “I’m good at watching scary things. I’ve watched every backroom video on YouTube.”
I froze in the middle of the road. “You’ve watchedwhat?”
“They’re just short scary stories, Mom. Don’t have a cow.”
Both alphas seemed like they wanted to laugh but didn’t want to undermine my authority. While I appreciated the gesture, I was still flustered from running into Slater, being outed by my stalker, and having to deal with crying on top of everything else.
I sighed, resolving myself to the whim of my overly curious and brave children. “Alright, we can just…watchsomething. But the moment the jump scares start, I’m totally out and we’re watching Nemo. Deal?”
Anthony sighed while Adhara cheerfully bounced on her toes. “Deal!”
Troy smiled brightly. “I’m sure my cousin Elias would love to host you for a movie night sometime. You know my nephew Archie, right?”
I nodded. “Actually, that would be lovely. I can’t imagine we’ll have much good reception after—” I glanced over my shoulder to the people pouring from the double doors of the recreation center. “Anyway, that would be nice.”
Blake opened his mouth to speak, stopped for a second, and then met my gaze boldly. “I’m sorry again, Virginia. You’ll probably understand when I say it’s absolutely forbidden for you to mate with Slater.”
I stared at him. “Alpha, why the hell would I ever mate with Slater?”
“I know your history is—” He gestured to the twins. “—Well, it’s complicated, isn’t it?”
My heart clenched in my chest. “Right. I understand.”
He nodded, glanced at Troy, and then focused on me again. “When you’re ready to speak the truth, you have my full support. However, a bond between the two of you simply wouldn’t work.”
“It’s not like it’d cause a war.”
“Maybe not a war, Virginia, but it’ll split our pack. We’ve barely recovered from the war. I don’t want anything to fracture us.”
He meant me. My alpha was talking aboutme. A lump formed in my throat as I attempted to grasp what was quickly becoming a direct order from my leader. While Troy was granting me sympathetic glances, he leaned into Blake’s decision on the matter. And why would that bother me? It wasn’t like I wanted to be with Slater, to begin with.
“Do you understand, Virginia?” Blake asked in a gentle tone. “I just want to make sure we don’t have any loose ends here.”
“I understand, Alpha.”
Voices rose from beyond the doors. Shouts erupted. People clamored around the doors and crowded the exit, blocking other people from exiting. Chaos was about to explode.
Understandably, the alphas dove into action. Their pack was like this because of me. I knew my presence was agitating things, so I turned around with my kids and rushed them away from the scene.
We weren’t wanted here. So, why the hell should we stay?
Chapter 3 - Slater
White noise filled the room. Both ears twitched from the irritation, but I ignored the oncoming tinnitus and focused on the woman who was walking away from me. Gods, did I love to watch her go. The way she had filled out over the past ten years was insane—in a good way, definitely.
That motherly figure looked damn good on her.
What confused me was the way she had snapped at me. Her eyes held so many secrets, so many things she apparently hadn’t shared with anyone else. Since our history was so intertwined, I knew her individual expressions as well as I knew her quips. I had even anticipated a few to make an appearance.
