TARA“Actually, I don’t think I want you to leave tonight. Do you mind staying?” I asked Aidan after he told me that he wanted to leave, and his answer was quick.“No. Not really.”I didn’t expect that answer, and I also didn’t expect the sting of his words to hurt my neck that much. Still, I managed to ask, not hiding my disappointment. “Do you…have to work or something else to take care of?”Aidan shook his head once, his face having an expression that I didn’t understand. “I just want to be home,” he said.“Oh.” I searched his face, trying to discern what was happening here…until Aidan’s lips stretched in a crooked, mischievous smile.“Come here,” he said, chuckling as he reached out to me, and I abandoned my drink, realizing that he was pulling my legs. Phew. “Like hell. I’d die to stay over. I was just messing with you.”As Aidan wrapped his arms around me in an embrace, I found myself laughing in relief before I swatted his broad chest. “Don’t play like that,” I warned, and he
TARAThe feeling of Aidan’s hands on my head as he braided my hair was therapeutic, coercing the stress of the day from my body like magic. I melted into him on the bed, groaning whenever his fingers touched my scalp at how good it felt. Who knew that getting braids could feel like a massage?“I thought you’d be terrible at this,” I said to Aidan, one braid in as he combed out the other half of my hair. The room had been silent since he began otherwise. “You seem to have a secret talent.”I was sitting in front of Aidan with my back pressed against his front, my hands on each of his thick thighs, while his hands manipulated my head. My eyes were already dropping at this point with how surreal it felt.“Not a talent,” Aidan said, and I could feel him shaking his head. “Just something I picked up a long time ago. I remember doing it for my mom sometimes.”It was funny how I moved from not knowing anything about Aidan’s Mom to knowing how close she had been with Aidan in his early days.
TARABreakfast was on my lap an hour later, and I couldn't stop grinning like a child opening presents on Christmas morning. It wasn’t anything too special, but it still tasted like a meal at a fancy restaurant.And damn, Aidan looked delicious as hell, serving me breakfast in bed with his bare chest, tattooed muscles, and a devilish smile on his pretty face. While having my meal, I pulled out one of the books I had DNF for so long that it had started to collect dust in the storage, and I dug back in.I was still a little worried about how Aidan was going handle Nadia on his own for the whole day, but when Nadia came into my room at around thirty minutes to her school time, dressed up nicely with her lunchbox in Aidan’s hand to say goodbye to me, all my worries melted.“Are you excited to spend the day with Aidan? He’ll bring you back, and we’ll have dinner together.”Nadia seemed even more excited than I was about the new development as she nodded.“Everyone at school will know I wa
TARAI had just ended the call from Aidan, and he said they were ten minutes away from the house. I didn’t want to spend that time thinking about what Kayla’s cryptic text meant, but one thing I thought about was how cruel Kayla was. Feeling the need to check up on my mom and make sure that she was okay, and that Kayla was nowhere near my family—I had no idea why I thought of that—I decided to call her. Besides, we had barely spoken much in the past week when I was dealing with the mess from our pasts.She picked up on the first ring, and her voice already did something to calm my unsettled heart. Her voice was low, but familiar, like a season of the year I missed, spreading over me like butter.“Hi, Mama,” I said, smiling into the speaker even though she could not see through the phone.“My Tara,” she said in reply, reminding me of the many nicknames she had for me during my childhood. Emotions gathered in my throat, both from reminiscing about those times and from being grateful th
TARA Before long, we were at Aidan’s home, the one we stayed in during the time when ours was flooded, and Nadia had settled down in her old room. It was crazy how we already had our rooms in Aidan’s house, but then again, I was sure that was what Aidan actually wanted. I didn’t find myself being opposed to the idea. Aidan walked behind me as I made my way over to my room with one hand in his pocket, the other one squeezing the back of his neck, and his eyes directed at the floor. “What?” I asked when we stepped inside the familiar environment, and I momentarily forgot what was going on as a shudder ran through me on remembering. This was where Aidan and I had sex. That was when he walked in on me changing, giving off all that big alpha energy about my scars, and then kissing them like they were the most perfect imperfections he had ever seen. I still remembered how he felt as he moved inside me, how every cell in my body lit up like bulbs on an abandoned street, how devastatin
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.
TARA Before long, we were at Aidan’s home, the one we stayed in during the time when ours was flooded, and Nadia had settled down in her old room. It was crazy how we already had our rooms in Aidan’s house, but then again, I was sure that was what Aidan actually wanted. I didn’t find myself being opposed to the idea. Aidan walked behind me as I made my way over to my room with one hand in his pocket, the other one squeezing the back of his neck, and his eyes directed at the floor. “What?” I asked when we stepped inside the familiar environment, and I momentarily forgot what was going on as a shudder ran through me on remembering. This was where Aidan and I had sex. That was when he walked in on me changing, giving off all that big alpha energy about my scars, and then kissing them like they were the most perfect imperfections he had ever seen. I still remembered how he felt as he moved inside me, how every cell in my body lit up like bulbs on an abandoned street, how devastatin
TARAI had just ended the call from Aidan, and he said they were ten minutes away from the house. I didn’t want to spend that time thinking about what Kayla’s cryptic text meant, but one thing I thought about was how cruel Kayla was. Feeling the need to check up on my mom and make sure that she was okay, and that Kayla was nowhere near my family—I had no idea why I thought of that—I decided to call her. Besides, we had barely spoken much in the past week when I was dealing with the mess from our pasts.She picked up on the first ring, and her voice already did something to calm my unsettled heart. Her voice was low, but familiar, like a season of the year I missed, spreading over me like butter.“Hi, Mama,” I said, smiling into the speaker even though she could not see through the phone.“My Tara,” she said in reply, reminding me of the many nicknames she had for me during my childhood. Emotions gathered in my throat, both from reminiscing about those times and from being grateful th
TARABreakfast was on my lap an hour later, and I couldn't stop grinning like a child opening presents on Christmas morning. It wasn’t anything too special, but it still tasted like a meal at a fancy restaurant.And damn, Aidan looked delicious as hell, serving me breakfast in bed with his bare chest, tattooed muscles, and a devilish smile on his pretty face. While having my meal, I pulled out one of the books I had DNF for so long that it had started to collect dust in the storage, and I dug back in.I was still a little worried about how Aidan was going handle Nadia on his own for the whole day, but when Nadia came into my room at around thirty minutes to her school time, dressed up nicely with her lunchbox in Aidan’s hand to say goodbye to me, all my worries melted.“Are you excited to spend the day with Aidan? He’ll bring you back, and we’ll have dinner together.”Nadia seemed even more excited than I was about the new development as she nodded.“Everyone at school will know I wa
TARAThe feeling of Aidan’s hands on my head as he braided my hair was therapeutic, coercing the stress of the day from my body like magic. I melted into him on the bed, groaning whenever his fingers touched my scalp at how good it felt. Who knew that getting braids could feel like a massage?“I thought you’d be terrible at this,” I said to Aidan, one braid in as he combed out the other half of my hair. The room had been silent since he began otherwise. “You seem to have a secret talent.”I was sitting in front of Aidan with my back pressed against his front, my hands on each of his thick thighs, while his hands manipulated my head. My eyes were already dropping at this point with how surreal it felt.“Not a talent,” Aidan said, and I could feel him shaking his head. “Just something I picked up a long time ago. I remember doing it for my mom sometimes.”It was funny how I moved from not knowing anything about Aidan’s Mom to knowing how close she had been with Aidan in his early days.
TARA“Actually, I don’t think I want you to leave tonight. Do you mind staying?” I asked Aidan after he told me that he wanted to leave, and his answer was quick.“No. Not really.”I didn’t expect that answer, and I also didn’t expect the sting of his words to hurt my neck that much. Still, I managed to ask, not hiding my disappointment. “Do you…have to work or something else to take care of?”Aidan shook his head once, his face having an expression that I didn’t understand. “I just want to be home,” he said.“Oh.” I searched his face, trying to discern what was happening here…until Aidan’s lips stretched in a crooked, mischievous smile.“Come here,” he said, chuckling as he reached out to me, and I abandoned my drink, realizing that he was pulling my legs. Phew. “Like hell. I’d die to stay over. I was just messing with you.”As Aidan wrapped his arms around me in an embrace, I found myself laughing in relief before I swatted his broad chest. “Don’t play like that,” I warned, and he
TARAActivities like these were fast becoming one of my favorite things to do, and that was doing absolutely nothing!We drove slowly in complete silence, the only sounds permeating the air around us being that of the car engine and Nadia snoring softly at the back of the car. Aidan’s eyes were on the road ahead of us, his left hand on the steering wheel, while his right hand was laced with mine over the console between our seats.It was perfect.And the only imperfect moment in all of it was when we arrived in front of our house, signaling the end of the evening for us. I didn’t want it to end. I didn’t want to say “See you tomorrow,” but we couldn’t exactly remain seated in the car, basking in each other's warmth, when Nadia’s neck was cranked in an uncomfortable position at the back.Aidan must have thought of this too, because he brought our interlocked hands up to his lips, and pressed a lingering kiss on the back of my palm that left me reeling.“I’ll help get her inside.”I nod
TARA I couldn’t hide my apprehension when Aidan said he had something else to say. What was it?My mind ran in a million different directions, and my anxiety was reflected in my voice when I inquired. “What is it?”Aidan didn’t respond immediately, sending my mind into more spiral rotations. Instead, he motioned around us, saying. “It’s dark. The papers about what I want to show you are also in the car, so should we get Nadia, and I drop you off when we finish?”I looked around, shocked that I hadn’t even noticed how dark it had become. Aidan didn’t seem to be panicking too much about what he wanted to say…or maybe he was just better at handling his emotions than me, but I could calm down a bit.“Sure. Let’s do that,” I nodded, getting up on wobbly my feet.Within minutes, Aidan had said hurried goodbyes to some familiar faces, Nadia also said bye to the new friends she made just now, and we were all seated inside Aidan’s car.My heart was still racing, so I turned my attention to N
AIDANTara was either too modest or too compassionate to realize that I was the definition of pathetic if my main goal for decades has been to prove my worth to the man who pushed my mother to her untimely and gory death. Did I need to add that I needed to toss my wealth in a woman’s face for me to have something as natural as a family?What a joke.Aside from the fact that I’d been mortified about admitting my shortcomings, Kayla and I signed a contract. Not many people knew about our arrangement, but that didn’t excuse me for not telling Tara about it. I thought I could handle being in between, and my stupid and slimy actions almost cost me the woman who had my heart in her palm.No matter how difficult this was for me, I was coming clean, just as I promised her.After my brief explanation of my tragic family history—a story that still burned my chest whenever I allowed myself to think of it—, Tara figured out my connection to Kayla. Tara’s mouth opened and closed in bewilderment,
TARAMy heart thrashed wildly against my chest as I thought about what Aidan was about to say. I waited with bated breath for him to confess that just like a great percentage of the people I’d come across in my lifetime, Aidan did not care about me or my daughter, and that he was just like everyone else.That was the only thing that made sense.Before we sat down on the side benches, Aidan had gone to what I was sure was his car to bring the papers he was referring to a few minutes ago, and I wondered what it contained. It could be more lies, but I told myself that I was going to give Aidan one last strand of my trust, even if it seemed stupid of me.I willed myself to remain calm, fingernails digging into my ribs from where they were tucked away at my sides, and my eyes trained on Aidan.“So how long have you been lying to me? Weeks? Months? As far back as a decade ago? Is this just some elaborate game you decided to dedicate your life to playing?”“What? No!” Aidan’s eyebrows furrow