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27: The Elephant In The Room
Last Updated:
2024-12-22 20:01:14
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Alpha Aidan's Rejection 28: An Olive Branch
AIDANThe next day, Jace and I were having an early morning briefing about pack matters before I was to go about my day. We were barely an hour in, but I was already exhausted. Thankfully, we were now rounding up.“The pack isn’t expecting you back till later this week, but he has been calling me nonstop since yesterday.” It was Jace speaking.I lifted my head from the desk that served as my workspace for the time being.“Who has?” I asked.“Your dad. He said he had called you multiple times already, and that was why he reached out to me instead. He said you should call him back.”“Did he now?” I asked with a raised eyebrow.Jace laughed. “It was more like a command,” he said, shrugging.I shook my head, wondering how on earth that man was my father.Having confirmed that Tara was very much alive and well, I knew that it was one of two options. It was either my father knew that Tara was alive but wanted me to think she wasn’t, or he was misinformed by his trusted sources. And knowing
Last Updated : 2024-12-23Alpha Aidan's Rejection 29: A Fair Warning
AIDANWhatever device was placed under my car had a lifeline, and however long that was, it had started counting down already.Beads of sweat formed across my head, but I didn’t dare release my hands from my deathly grip on the steering wheel in an attempt to wipe it off as I sat frozen on the spot.“Think, Aidan, think!” I bit out, racking my brain.The steady beep kept going, and the seconds kept counting down.Taking deep breaths to calm myself, I put two and two together.It was most likely an explosive, and disabling it was out of the question. I couldn’t exactly call for help as I didn’t know how much time I had, and for my safety, I had to assume that the slightest movement would trigger the explosive to go off.I looked around me and exhaled a small breath when I realized that the area where I had parked was farther away from where people walked through.It boiled down to this.“No one else is close by, so nobody else can get hurt. I just have to find a way out of here fast en
Last Updated : 2024-12-24Alpha Aidan's Rejection 30: Pretty Like Us
TARA“So…?”“So, what, Jenna?” I asked over the phone as I made sure that everything we needed was packed into the bag. Nadia and I were spending the rest of our day at the park.“Tell me what the heck you’ve been up to. You sped off right after the party, and I haven't heard from you since then.”I sighed before I spoke again. “I could ask you the same thing, Jenna. I called your supposed duty stand, and they said you never turned in for your shift. Where did you go, huh?”Even though I couldn’t see Jenna, I could feel her shrugging. “Oh, just somewhere totally uninteresting. But I see what you’re trying to do Tara, and I won’t let you. Talk to me, girl. Have you been engaging with him?”It was my turn to shrug. “It was only drinks, and don’t forget it was in a public space.”“Well,” Jenna said. “It was bound to happen at some point. I do not support him, what he did to you, or how he left you both to get here on your own, but you will have to figure things out soon for yourselves an
Last Updated : 2024-12-25Alpha Aidan's Rejection 31: It's Not Safe
TARANadia looked between the two of us with expectant eyes, and a fearful thought crossed my mind.I still didn’t completely know why Aidan chose to leave me all those years ago, but now that he was here, Nadia was head over heels for him, and it had just been weeks.What if he left us again?What if things became tough and he decided to break our hearts again? What if he didn’t really want us?The what-ifs multiplied in my mind until Aidan’s voice cut through.“I want to,” he said, responding to my last question, but there was this little voice at the back of my head that didn’t believe that it spanned to all the other what-ifs.As if he was reading my mind, Aidan spoke again. “I want everything. If you would let me.”“Mommy?” Nadia called sweetly, asking for my permission.I couldn’t complain about Aidan being dressed formally because his outfit was casual, yet spoke volumes.“Well, you will have to leave your car because we’re strolling to the park. Can’t ruin all the fun,” I argu
Last Updated : 2024-12-26Alpha Aidan's Rejection 32: More Under His Sleeves
AIDANI quickly made my way back to the hotel suite after receiving the call from Jace, and my anger was visible. I wasn’t ready to leave Nadia and Tara just yet, and when Nadia started grumbling about me leaving, I almost said screw whatever Jace needed to tell me.The little time I got to spend with her was unarguably one of the best times of my life. Truth be told, my eight-year-old daughter already had me wrapped around her finger.And spending time in Tara’s presence was something I wanted to continue doing for the rest of my life.Aside from that, Tara also said she had something to tell me, but when she saw the urgency in my movement after the call, she said that it could wait.Whatever Jace had to say had better be so important that the earth would freeze over if he didn’t tell me.Giving the lady at the reception a curt nod, I made my way up to my floor.The elevator ride was quick, and when I stepped into the suite, Jace was there, gulping down the entire content of a glass
Last Updated : 2024-12-27Alpha Aidan's Rejection 36: Saying Goodbye
TARAChallenge?What the heck!?How did it get to this?“Say no, please, say no,” I pleaded under my breath, ignoring the uproar from the pack members who were present and currently tearing the place apart.This was exactly what Collin wanted, and he was hoping that Aidan would take the bait and fight him. All for what?“Aidan,” my voice came out shaky, but this time it was louder. Loud enough for Aidan to hear so he could turn around to face me.My heart hammered in my chest, and at some point, it felt like the organ was going to give in.I shook my head once, willing Aidan to say no, but somewhere within me, I already knew that Aidan wouldn’t.I knew that he had this compelling need to protect me and Nadia, and maybe he saw this as his opportunity to do so. I knew that Aidan saw that this young girl was in danger, and he felt the need to protect her too.Like a true Alpha.But Collin was challenging Aidan for Attica pack! That was Aidan’s life’s work. Collin wouldn’t fight fair. He
Last Updated : 2024-12-28Alpha Aidan's Rejection 33: Stand Trial
AIDAN After I found the cleared path that led me away from the city and to the woods, I made sure I didn’t rush my pace and be left with no expanse of land to run when I finally shifted, so I kept my feet light on the ground. Thankfully, Vermont pack had a really large uncharted portion of land that looked like it was reserved for mainly shifting and running. After walking for a few more minutes, I recalled that I was so tense and angry earlier, that I forgot to take a change of clothes along with me. So instead of just letting my wolf out immediately, I took note of the surroundings that I was in and noted how many trees were around me and in what direction they pointed so that I could easily find this spot when I was done running. When I was satisfied that I wouldn’t get lost or misled by my scent that would be all over the place when I finished, I took off my shirt and tucked it behind a tree. My shoes and socks came off next, followed by my accessories. I was left with jus
Last Updated : 2024-12-28Alpha Aidan's Rejection 34: How Do You Plead?
TARA The next day, I made my way to the diner in a jolly mood, and even if I didn’t get to my shop to meet any early customers who usually waited to be the first to try our freshly baked goods, I wasn’t bothered. We still had the whole day to sell out. Thoughts of how the previous day was spent filled my mind, and I had to caution myself from overthinking things. I was worried that I didn’t get to tell Aidan what Jenna had told me, but I just hoped that Aidan was in good health. Nadia was so happy after everything yesterday that she fell asleep the moment we got home, and when I woke her up this morning, she got herself ready with a smile and not the usual grumbles. My baby was already in school and I could focus my undivided attention on work till she got back, so I got right into it. I hummed as I got the diner cleaned for the day, set up the tables, and mentally prepared myself for a productive day. Starting with some batter, I baked rounds of lemon muffins that I was sure w
Last Updated : 2024-12-29
Latest chapter
Alpha Aidan's Rejection 87: Friend Turned Foe
TARAWe took a ride back home, and I could say that I’d never been as hurt, confused, and afraid all at the same time before as I was now. In the thousands of seconds that it took for us to make it back, I fought the urge to cry thousands of times, but I couldn’t. Not in front of Nadia. I couldn’t bear the thought of scaring her like that, but I also couldn’t stop thinking about it.‘Dad’s not home. He’s out with Mom. Kayla Graham.’Aidan was a father. To someone other than Nadia.And Aidan was a husband. To someone else who wasn’t me.Could there have been a misunderstanding somewhere?None of it made any sense, but I still remembered the odd sense of familiarity I felt when the teenager showed up, telling me somewhere deep inside me that this held some real bitter truth. The betrayal hurt like a thousand cuts from a jagged saw to the same spot.I almost hissed in pain, but I swallowed the feeling like a pill, waiting until we got back.The thought of going back to the penthouse wher
Alpha Aidan's Rejection 86: Dad?
TARAI’d be honest upfront. I couldn’t care less about the basket that me and Nadia spent over half an hour filling it with whatever fruits we could find at the market. All I cared about was the way my heart was doing unfamiliar things like gymnastic moves in my chest in anticipation of seeing Aidan.A little more than for me though, I was happy that Nadia did not turn into a shadow of her usual self after we broke the news of her parentage to her. She still missed spending time with Aidan and was just as excited about seeing him as me.“We have oranges, peaches, a watermelon, bananas, and even more fruit, Nadia. I doubt Aidan is going to be able to finish these all by himself, so I think we should stop here, okay?”She seemed to be enjoying the local shopping spree a little too much, but she bobbed her head in response either way.After paying and bagging our stuff, I transferred them to the basket we came along with, and pulled out the possible location list that Aidan dropped off w
Alpha Aidan's Rejection 85: Going To See Aidan
TARAThe next days were better than I could have predicted in years to come, and that meant better in the sense of things with Aidan, and even better with my mother. We frequented my old home as often as we could, spent hours upon hours in my mother’s company, and sometimes, even visited twice on the same day for days in a row.My mom was so happy, confessing to it by herself that she hadn’t been happier in years. When she randomly mentioned one afternoon that she was grateful to have seen these days, and would now peacefully go to meet the Moon Goddess, I rebuked her, telling her that I saw her spending many more years with us after this.I truly did.Nadia wasn’t left out in the merriments. Her grandmother showered her with so much love that she was the one who dragged me sometimes to go see her.And then there was my father. Just as I had suspected on the first day when we came, he was only entertaining us because of Mom. Her seeing us must have brought about a time that had been c
Alpha Aidan's Rejection 84: Apologies
TARAI kept on ignoring the voice in my head that had been echoing on repeat, making me question if I had made a rash decision without properly thinking about it. Nadia’s eyes were swollen with tears, her face, still wet and puffy from sobbing after we broke the news to her. She had let me into the room now, but I still gave her a few minutes for her occasional shudders to calm down before I started speaking.“Can I talk to you now?” I asked, watching her sunken frame on the bed and wondering when my baby became this smart. I couldn’t say “shocked” was an appropriate word to describe how I felt when she uttered those words.Nadia nodded, so I steadied myself with a deep breath before I spoke.“Aidan, your daddy, and I, first met each other a very long time ago, and as of then, we weren’t very wise to make the best decisions. Aidan hurt me by pushing me away, but I realized that he only pushed me away because he was scared for us and trying to protect you from a bad man who would have
Alpha Aidan's Rejection 83: Better Now Than Later
TARA“You know how Aidan has been here for a very long time making sure that we’re okay, we’re happy, and we have everything we need?” Nadia’s eyes brightened as she stared between me and Aidan, nodding. “Good. And how a dad always does these things because that’s what they’re supposed to do?”Nadia’s smile faltered, mirroring her confusion now. I quickly went on. “It happens that Aidan is your dad, just like you’ve always wished. He always has been, and he’s here for you now.” My forehead had gone clammy with the tension of the moment, and I felt my heartbeat thrashing in my ears. “How do you feel about that, baby?” I asked when Nadia hadn’t said a word for too long.“He…Aidan is my daddy?” Nadia’s voice was unrecognizable. Small, and unsure.Aidan answered this time, cautiously. “Yes, Nadia, I’m your daddy.”I’d thought about how this was going to play out in my head, and thought about the many scenarios in all directions that this could take. Only one truly stuck, hence my surprise
Alpha Aidan's Rejection 82: Rip The Band-Aid
TARAMy mom had insisted we spend the night with them after already staying over four hours there, which honestly felt like minutes with how much laughter and crying we did, but I politely refused, mostly because Dad’s attitude didn’t yield the whole night.Mom offered to clean my old room and set it up for me and Nadia, claiming that they had barely touched anything since after that night, and even if Nadia was excited about the idea, I didn’t want to be back in the space just yet.I promised that we would show up again tomorrow to take off where we left, even going as far as making plans to spend the day in the kitchen, all three of us—me, Mom, and Nadia— before Mom finally agreed to let us leave.My gratefulness to the goddess knew no bounds. It hadn’t even been a complete day, and my heart was already lighter as everything was beginning to fall into place.And more than anything else, I found myself wanting to share the good news first with Aidan, and I was surprised that it didn’
Alpha Aidan's Rejection 81: Tolerating Our Presence
TARAI couldn’t say if I considered it funny now, or something else. For the last couple of days, I’d been worried sick about the outcome of us coming back here, but as soon as I laid eyes on my mother, all my worries melted into nothingness.It was like she didn’t believe it was me at first, but immediately I said the word, a shocked sound slipped past her lips, and she threw her arms forward, going in for an embrace. On instinct, I did the same, laughing as the heaviest weight of the moment was lifted off my chest.Wrapping my arms around her neck and burying my face into her clothes, I felt hot tears falling from my eyes, and I didn’t bother stopping them. She was alive. She was well, and I got to see her again. To smell that familiar scent of home, of my mother.“My baby girl,” she cried, her smaller body racking with aggressive sobs against mine. “I never thought the goddess would bless me with a day to see you again. This has to be an illusion. Please tell me it’s not a dream,”
Alpha Aidan's Rejection 80: Greeted With Silence
TARAI didn’t expect to be hit with so many memories as soon as Aidan drove us past Attica Pack’s borders, those from the events surrounding my departure, and more from way before then, but I was.Attica pack had changed—in a really good way—, but with the anxiousness and the bad memories this place brought up, I would have turned around and headed back where I came from if Aidan wasn’t with me.He must have noticed my dampened mood, seeing as he rushed in and out of the large penthouse after showing Nadia to her room. Not even the jaw-dropping gorgeousness of Aidan’s condo could get me to relax.As soon as he got back, Aidan took my hands in his, automatically calming me down, and he led me to a sofa. His eyes held the most understanding and patience, something I was so grateful for. Aidan didn’t know that this was more than just facing my parents after the tragic event years ago, but also some dark traumatic experiences of mine that I barely thought of anymore because it was way eas
Alpha Aidan's Rejection 79: Getting Settled
AIDANShouldn’t I have been ecstatic that Nadia and Tara were finally coming to Attica pack, where I most wanted them to be, even if this journey was only temporary?No arguments…I was. I was happy for this development, but dread coiled itself around my neck more than joy, making me question if this was the right time, or if once again, Jace was right, and I had dug a grave for myself that I couldn’t get out of.I hadn’t entirely been honest with myself, and neither have I been one hundred percent honest with Tara. My briefcase stared at me, and so did all the evidence from my attempt to change the hands of fate.Documents for a new diner in Attica pack with keys I had intended to give Tara, documents with Nadia’s name, admitting her as a pupil in Attica’s most prestigious institution, a new home for them, and subsequently, for us, and even more incriminating information that I couldn’t dare name.These should have been a thing of joy and pride to share with Tara, but I’d gone and don
