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“You have a week. After that, I will have no choice but to tell him. I'm sorry. Also, I kind of need to give you a ticket again for something. Valen will ask questions if he doesn't see multiple tickets—he told me to harass you and your friends. Don't worry, I won't lodge them, but I need it for appearance's sake; unless you try to stop me seeing my granddaughter. My wife will be so excited,” he gushes, beaming happily at Casey, who waves to him.
“You can see her, but Ana must not know,” Zoe says.
“Never liked her much; snobby piece of work that woman is. Can I bring my wife by over the weekend? You ladies work at the Mountain View Hotel?”
“We own it,” I tell him, and his mouth opens in disbelief.
“But you're rogues.”
“And that doesn't make us any less capable,” I tell him.
“I guess not,” the officer says, looking at us all in shock.
While I feel relieved that the officer didn’t take Casey, I can’t help the sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. I'm worried that too many people know my secret. I know it's only a matter of time before Valen finds out, with the city being a gossip mill. It's inevitable. No secret stays buried forever, and I can see this is one of those secrets that will eventually come out.
The officer picks up his gun and puts it back in his holster before glancing at me.
“You won’t tell your mate about?” he points to my lip.
“It can stay between us, as long as you stick to your word and don’t try to take Casey. Everyone knows not to cross the Blood Alpha—I have a feeling he won’t take too kindly to anyone that hurts his mate.”
He nods, glancing at the car. “I'll see you on the weekend, Zoe,” he says, inclining his head to Zoe, who nods before climbing back in her car.
ChapterThirty-Two
Everly
I've been trying to avoid the conversation all night, but Valarian has followed me around the hotel like a bad smell, and as we head to the apartment, I have no choice but to face the pint-sized Alpha. I never thought I would fear my son, but his aura is in full force. All afternoon, people had been glancing at him as he trailed after me while I worked. I could see their curiosity—there's no way I could deny what he is, that he's an Alpha child. Even Zoe has been wary around him, and as soon as we finished for the day, she practically bolted to bathe Casey, leaving me with my fuming son.
Valarian slams the door loudly as he walks in after me. I'm not used to him acting out of anger—he never even threw tantrums as a baby. At least he held his tongue while I finished work. When I’m finally home, I take my shoes off to rest a bit. But there's no hiding from his ever-present gaze. The officer had said too much in front of him.
“You lied to me,” Valarian states as I flick on the kettle. I grab two mugs down from the cupboard, intending to make him hot chocolate, but he smacks my hands as I go to set the mugs on the counter. The glass shatters on the ground at my feet. I press my lips together at his acting out. I know he's mad, but there was no need for that.
“Enough!” I snap at him, and he glares at me.
“You lied,” he says before growling, which startles me.
“I did not lie; I just didn't tell you the whole truth.”
“You said my father wasn't your mate. You said he didn't live in this city,” he accuses.
“I never said that; you just assumed he didn't live here, and I simply let you believe you were correct.”
“I hate you,” Valarian snarls at me, tears burning his eyes. His words twist my stomach painfully and I’m hit with waves of guilt.
“Valarian, you don't understand. It isn't safe for you to know him,” I try to explain.
“Why? I hate that everyone says you're a rogue whore; that everyone treats us differently. I see the way people look at you because we aren't part of a pack because you don't have a mate,” Valarian says.
“We don't need him, I don't need him, we do fine on our own,” I try to tell him while trying to put a comforting hand on his shoulder.
“You may not want him as a mate, but I want my dad. I don't want to be the rogue whore’s son, I don't want to be treated the way everyone treats you. I want my dad,” Valarian cries.
Pain radiates through my chest at his words—the rogue whore's son. He hates how people see me, see him, and that realization hurts more than anything else he said. It was one thing for an adult to be embarrassed, but for him to be embarrassed for who people think I am...
For the first time in a long time, I'm ashamed of the title bestowed on me. I rub a hand down my face, trying to find a way to explain.
“Well, you can't have him. He–”
