TARAStaring at the lady who practically called me a whore in front of a room full of customers, and most especially, Aidan Graham, many thoughts raced through my mind.This wasn’t the first time that someone had been rude to me because they somehow thought that they were better than me since I had a child at such a young age, so I wasn’t too bothered.Aidan, on the other hand, looked like he was ready to commit first-degree m*rder within the next few seconds if caution wasn’t taken. His eyes burned like molten lava in the strange lady’s direction, so I quickly thought of a way to end the scene before it escalated.Like I said earlier, I didn’t want any bad dust for my business. So I spoke. “I’m sorry, ma’am, but I don’t understand what you mean. This is a place of business, and we have customers who would appreciate not being…”“I’ll make you understand,” the petite lady in the blonde wavy hair cut me off, gritting her teeth so hard, and pointing a disgusted look at me.Now, I was b
AIDANI knew without a doubt that Tara didn’t want me around her diner, but I couldn’t bring myself to leave.There were a million unanswered questions and an even greater number of impossible things that surrounded the events between us. There were explanations that I just couldn’t wrap my head around, but I still couldn’t dare leave her side. Not when I was hung up on her scent like an addict.I lingered around the premises of diner for goddess knows how long, making sure she didn’t see me of course, watching her attend to her customers with a glint in her mesmerizing eyes. I watched her laugh freely with the people around her, and all I could feel was the hurt from eight years ago.The hurt I felt when we parted ways. The betrayal I felt from seeing pictures of Tara hugging and kissing another man who wasn’t me.She denied it all, and she said she was having our child, and I didn’t believe her. Now, eight years later, all it took was one look at Nadia to know that she was my flesh
AIDANEven after the douchebag, Collin left and was nowhere to be seen, Nadia still feared for her safety. She was still tense, and her large hazel eyes welled up with unshed tears.All I wanted was for that feeling to go away and never return.I wanted to know everything about Tara’s and Nadia’s relationship with Collin, but I didn’t know if Tara would be okay with me pressing Nadia for answers, so I decided to keep it simple.Taking her cold hands into mine, I squatted to her level and smiled at her. “Hey, pretty, don’t be scared. He’s gone now, and he won’t be able to harm you on my watch,” I said to Nadia.It seemed like she didn’t believe me, but she nodded anyway. “You’ll stay and protect me?” She asked with glistening eyes.I nodded. There was nothing I wanted more than that. “Yes, Nadia. Anyone who tries to get to you will have to go through me first, and I promise you that they won’t be able to do so.”The well of tears cleared from her eyes as a small smile lifted her face,
TARA We were having homemade beef dip as an early dinner, and as I cooked in the kitchen, Jenna and Nadia played a game of cards on the dining table.“So, not only did he come in to make your emotionally starved feathers all ruffled up,” Jenna spoke with a cackle, “but he also stood up for you to a rude customer, in front of a crowd, might I add.”I rolled my eyes as I brought out plates for us to eat. “It wasn’t a big deal, madam,” I said to her, trying to ignore the feelings that were battling my mind.Jenna rambled on as if I didn’t just speak. “And then he gave you white roses?” She dropped her jaw dramatically, causing me to laugh.“I got some flowers too,” Nadia replied, kicking her feet together like it was prom night.“Nadia got flowers too!” Jenna repeated, adding special throat noises for dramatics. I just shook my head, refusing ti engage in this.As for Nadia, she was super excited about the flowers today, and it took minutes of pleading to get her to put them down after
TARAMy mind took a trip down memory lane to eight years ago, right after I put to bed. I was so scared, thinking that Aidan found us, or worse, Kayla, or Aidan’s father.Shortly after I was able to return to the pack, Alpha Collin showed up at the house to congratulate me, and when I brought up the topic, as well as my concerns about being found by the people who caused me to leave Pack Attica, my previous pack, Collin proceeded to confirm that he was the one who cleared my bills.It didn’t take a mathematician to put it together that Collin was into me, but I couldn’t settle for a relationship after what I’d been through. I also couldn’t ignore the fact that I didn’t see him that way, mostly because my heart belonged to another, even after such betrayal.Aidan was, after all, my mate. And even though our bond was severed, a heart was still a heart.Collin was kind to me and patient, and we later finally came to a conclusion to put a label on our relationship.The dynamic of our rela
TARA“Aidan, love, I-I wasn’t sure… so I went to see the pack doctor. I’m two weeks gone,” I said my voice barely above a whisper. “I’m pregnant.”My heartbeat thrashed in my ears as I finally found the courage to tell him. I was beyond terrified, but I was sure that Aidan and I would go through this together. After all, he was the Alpha of Pack Attica.Aidan looked up from his phone, and the color completely drained from his face. “No, you’re not.”My mouth fell open. What?“I-I am,” I said, fumbling through my pocket for the picture the doctor gave me of the baby. “I’m preg-”“What the heck, Tara! Stop saying that. You’re not pregnant for gods sake! Are you that pathetic to lie with something as dire as this?”I flinched at his tone. Aidan was never mean to me. He never raised his voice or used foul language at me.“Why would I lie? I swear by the moon, it’s yours,” I pleaded, tears filling the back of my eyelids, blurring my vision.With fists clenched and veins bulging from every
TARABy the time I got to our house at the edge of the pack, my parents were in the living room of the small apartment, so I ran up to my room, so they wouldn’t question me or see my puffed face.Kayla arrived barely ten minutes after I did, and I was temporarily relieved.“I’m pregnant,” I confessed, picking my cuticles as I paced the length of my small room with her sitting on the bed.Kayla blinked in rapid succession. “Wh-what?”“I am…”Kayla’s words could pass for a scream. “You’re. Fucking. Pregnant!?” My heart skipped, and my eyebrows jumped as I flew to the bed to seal my hand over her mouth.“Shhh! My parents could hear.”Even if my parents were omegas too, they might still hear without the heightened senses.“I’m sorry,” she said, tears brimming in her eyes as she understood the gravity of the situation.“It’s Aidan’s, and he doesn’t believe me. I’m finished.” Fresh tears leaked from my eyes, and Kayla wrapped her hands around me.“What can I do?” She asked after I pulled a
TARARiding up to Aidan’s room floor, questions flooded my mind, along with an uneasy feeling that clawed at my chest, but I pushed it all to the side. My skin was prickly too, my head was pounding with a terrible headache, and I said a quick prayer. “Please, moon goddess, let Aidan be okay,” I prayed.The hallway was quiet in the dead of the night, and when I made a fist with my trembling and sweaty palm to knock, the door creaked open on its accord.Dread curled in my stomach, bringing a sour taste to my already dry mouth, but I stepped inside, regardless.Everywhere was dark, save for the dim lamp on the tabletop. From that, I made out Aidan’s form, sound asleep under the rumpled covers, but it did nothing to dull the sour feeling in my chest.As if noticing my presence in his sleep, Aidan’s eyes peeled open.“Tara?”“It’s me, baby.” I moved on instinct.“Goddess, so help me if you take a step closer, peasant.” Aidan sat up, and from his icy tone, the sleep was gone from his eyes.
TARAMy mind took a trip down memory lane to eight years ago, right after I put to bed. I was so scared, thinking that Aidan found us, or worse, Kayla, or Aidan’s father.Shortly after I was able to return to the pack, Alpha Collin showed up at the house to congratulate me, and when I brought up the topic, as well as my concerns about being found by the people who caused me to leave Pack Attica, my previous pack, Collin proceeded to confirm that he was the one who cleared my bills.It didn’t take a mathematician to put it together that Collin was into me, but I couldn’t settle for a relationship after what I’d been through. I also couldn’t ignore the fact that I didn’t see him that way, mostly because my heart belonged to another, even after such betrayal.Aidan was, after all, my mate. And even though our bond was severed, a heart was still a heart.Collin was kind to me and patient, and we later finally came to a conclusion to put a label on our relationship.The dynamic of our rela
TARA We were having homemade beef dip as an early dinner, and as I cooked in the kitchen, Jenna and Nadia played a game of cards on the dining table.“So, not only did he come in to make your emotionally starved feathers all ruffled up,” Jenna spoke with a cackle, “but he also stood up for you to a rude customer, in front of a crowd, might I add.”I rolled my eyes as I brought out plates for us to eat. “It wasn’t a big deal, madam,” I said to her, trying to ignore the feelings that were battling my mind.Jenna rambled on as if I didn’t just speak. “And then he gave you white roses?” She dropped her jaw dramatically, causing me to laugh.“I got some flowers too,” Nadia replied, kicking her feet together like it was prom night.“Nadia got flowers too!” Jenna repeated, adding special throat noises for dramatics. I just shook my head, refusing ti engage in this.As for Nadia, she was super excited about the flowers today, and it took minutes of pleading to get her to put them down after
AIDANEven after the douchebag, Collin left and was nowhere to be seen, Nadia still feared for her safety. She was still tense, and her large hazel eyes welled up with unshed tears.All I wanted was for that feeling to go away and never return.I wanted to know everything about Tara’s and Nadia’s relationship with Collin, but I didn’t know if Tara would be okay with me pressing Nadia for answers, so I decided to keep it simple.Taking her cold hands into mine, I squatted to her level and smiled at her. “Hey, pretty, don’t be scared. He’s gone now, and he won’t be able to harm you on my watch,” I said to Nadia.It seemed like she didn’t believe me, but she nodded anyway. “You’ll stay and protect me?” She asked with glistening eyes.I nodded. There was nothing I wanted more than that. “Yes, Nadia. Anyone who tries to get to you will have to go through me first, and I promise you that they won’t be able to do so.”The well of tears cleared from her eyes as a small smile lifted her face,
AIDANI knew without a doubt that Tara didn’t want me around her diner, but I couldn’t bring myself to leave.There were a million unanswered questions and an even greater number of impossible things that surrounded the events between us. There were explanations that I just couldn’t wrap my head around, but I still couldn’t dare leave her side. Not when I was hung up on her scent like an addict.I lingered around the premises of diner for goddess knows how long, making sure she didn’t see me of course, watching her attend to her customers with a glint in her mesmerizing eyes. I watched her laugh freely with the people around her, and all I could feel was the hurt from eight years ago.The hurt I felt when we parted ways. The betrayal I felt from seeing pictures of Tara hugging and kissing another man who wasn’t me.She denied it all, and she said she was having our child, and I didn’t believe her. Now, eight years later, all it took was one look at Nadia to know that she was my flesh
TARAStaring at the lady who practically called me a whore in front of a room full of customers, and most especially, Aidan Graham, many thoughts raced through my mind.This wasn’t the first time that someone had been rude to me because they somehow thought that they were better than me since I had a child at such a young age, so I wasn’t too bothered.Aidan, on the other hand, looked like he was ready to commit first-degree m*rder within the next few seconds if caution wasn’t taken. His eyes burned like molten lava in the strange lady’s direction, so I quickly thought of a way to end the scene before it escalated.Like I said earlier, I didn’t want any bad dust for my business. So I spoke. “I’m sorry, ma’am, but I don’t understand what you mean. This is a place of business, and we have customers who would appreciate not being…”“I’ll make you understand,” the petite lady in the blonde wavy hair cut me off, gritting her teeth so hard, and pointing a disgusted look at me.Now, I was b
TARAWith my newly made resolution about my standing with Aidan, I found it easier to get out of my house to my diner the next day for opening. It was the first day of the week-long Multipack Moon Meet, and Vermont pack was filled to its brim.I hoped that the crowds and business of the day would occupy my mind enough to not let it wander in the direction of a certain hot six-foot-four alpha, and luckily for me, it did.“Nadia would be occupied till three PM, so that should give us enough time to sell most of these out,” I said to Jenna, grinning proudly from ear to ear. We were halfway there already.As the guests settled in and took in the ceremonial decorations surrounding the pack, it led them straight to my diner just around the corner, as I had planned. The traffic was enough to get me, Jenna, and my single employee busy as bees from the whole of the morning till afternoon.The tables inside were occupied by guests and a few pack members that I could recognize, and so were the f
TARA“Bath time, honey,” I said softly to Nadia, about half an hour after dinner.As expected, her grumbles came just as quickly. “Can we watch Crab’s Adventures instead? Only for a few minutes? Please?” She asked, batting her eyelashes to make herself look more adorable.She almost got me because she looked so charming with her long lashes and hazel eyes, just like Aidan’s, but something motherhood taught me these past years was patience, as well as discipline, so I responded.“Not if you plan on skipping school tomorrow.”Nadia’s eyes shot wide open in excitement. “I can do that?”“Yeah, sure,” I shrugged. “You’re a big girl. You’ll just have to stay at home and make sure no bad guys get in while I’m out. You’ll also have to cook and clean up after yourself until I get back from work.” I feigned indifference. “And did I mention no friends? Because all of them would be at school together, and you’d be stuck here.”The wheels instantly turned in her small eyes, and she shook her head
AIDANComing to Vermont Pack against my will, I had expected bloodshed to follow. This pack was an enemy of mine. Cohabiting was never an option, but I’d been receiving threatening notes for the past week, and this pack held the key to uncovering what it was all about, so I was here.I couldn’t wait to find out and maim whoever was toying with me, and all that seemed appealing until I set my eyes on her. On them.At first, I thought the resemblance to the little girl was nothing more than a coincidence, but then she told me her name, and she wouldn’t stop talking about her mother who sounded like the woman who still held the key to my heart after all these years.Pieces started forming in my head, but I pushed them to the side because it was impossible that after all this time, Tara was still alive and here. Those were my thoughts, but I also couldn’t ignore the familiarity I felt with this place, and the intense need to protect the little child. Call it intuition, but it felt like
TARA Eight Years Later… Even before she voiced her question, I already connected the dots from the pride swirling in her eyes. “So how do you feel?” Jenna asked, carrying way too many labeled boxes on one hand, and easily maneuvering me in the middle of my new diner. “Your dreams are finally coming together. Aren’t you proud?” I rose to full height, abandoning the blue roses I was putting together for the front door, and stared at Jenna for a minute. It only took a second for my answer to take form. Proud would be too much of an understatement. I was freaking ecstatic. I was beyond grateful for the last eight years plus of my life because if anyone had told me this would be my standing in Vermont pack, the place I found myself after everything, I would have hissed in their faces. “Of course I’m proud, Jenna,” I said to my close friend and companion. After Nadia’s birth, Jenna was one of the few people who took me as their responsibility. I was suspicious of her at first,