MINE

ASPEN

I let out a long lengthy sigh, audible enough to garner the attention of everyone sitting at the large dining table with him.

Secretly I wished I never planned this so called family dinner, but I was pressured by my mother and the goddess knows I am unable to say no to that woman.

He could feel my wolf restless though, barely beneath the surface, itching to show himself and end the long and trying meeting filled with ass kissers and fake smiles.

Everyone’s eyes were on me now, it was almost eerie how every single one of my uncles and nephews and nieces along with my cousins all had blue eyes, it was like being stared down by a bunch of winter spirits. It was fucking uncomfortable.

“Did you have something to say, uncle?” My least favorite relative, Luke asked.

I'd noticed the man had come in with a smug expression and it had stayed on his face all through dinner , he had something he was itching to tell the family and I had no doubt that just like everything else that came out of my nephew’s mouth, it was going to piss me the hell off.

Still, give him the benefit of a doubt. I breathed in and tried to remind myself as I looked at the man. I had a lot of work to do I wanted to leave this meeting.

Still, I met the eyes of everyone with a cold gaze and then stared down at my food.

“I have nothing to say,”

I heard a forced chuckle at the other end of the table, my sister’s husband was the next to speak.

“But you organized the dinner, Alpha, we all assumed something important must’ve come up for you to call all of us to one place after so long,” the man said, his brown eyes could barely contain the fear in them as his couldn’t meet mine.

I adjusted the glasses that rested atop my nose, wishing I could take it off and not have to see their faces or deal with this dinner.

Just a few more minutes…a few more and I’m out of here!

“Well, I organized a family dinner,” I said giving the man a pointed look, “You aren’t family, George,”

“Aspen!” I heard my sister, Esther gasp in outrage as her fists slammed on the table leaving a dent, blue eyes burning with anger.

I sighed again.

Every word that left my lips annoyed my mother and sister, I’d gotten used to it.

To think my mother wasn’t even here, after spending many weeks preparing for this.

Luke cleared his throat and laughed awkwardly.

“Um…I don’t know if this a good time but I’d like to ease some of the tension,”

The man sometimes thought he and I were on the same level just because he was the beta of an equally large pack.

Large, yes. Dangerous?

They didn’t come close.

My older brother was meant to be alpha but I challenged his authority and now, my older brother has been no where to be found after the loss.

“Please,” Esther said, “Is there something you’d like to tell us?” She asked, clearly relieved by the change of topic but she still cast me an angry glance, a promise of the topic continuing.

I shrugged. I’ve never once liked her husband, everyone knew it.

“I’m happy to announce that just this morning, I found out that I have a son!”

There were gasps of excitement around the table, then as if they all had the same thought, they all turned to look at me, their eyes filled with pity and mockery.

It irked me despite ne not wanting it to.

My fist clenched tightly around my fork, I knew I was going to be annoyed by whatever it was that Luke would say.

Now they were all staring.

My entire family already knew I was unable to have children due to an injury I’d gotten in the fight against my brother, Luke knew as well…that’s why the bastard looked so smug.

The corners of Luke's lips tilted up into a smug grin as his eyes met mine yet again.

All of that didn’t matter to me. I’d already accepted my fate.

“That’s great news!” Esther exclaimed, hands clasped to her chest and her once dull expression replaced with a bright smile.

“How…how are you so sure?” George asked, clearly hesitant to speak up again.

“I got a call today,” Luke began, “From an old girlfriend…she’s an omega so she doesn’t really matter but, apparently she has a son who has the same illness we have all experienced. He needs blood. Vincenzo blood,” Luke announced proudly.

“Doesn’t that mean your child should be about two years old or three?”

“Does that mean that omega kept it from you all this time?”

“I’m so happy for you, Luke!”

I had stopped paying attention to the conversation, my ears only picking up a few words as my eyes were more focused on the fatality reports of the previous rouge attacks.

“Aren’t you going to congratulate me, uncle?” I heard Luke's irritating voice call out. And when I raised my head from the papers I saw that everyone’s eyes were on me.

Great.

“Congratulations, Luke,” I said emotionlessly as I flipped open the pages of the file in front of him, silently grateful I had brought my work to dinner.

“Thank you, uncle, I have actually invited her over since it is an opportunity to meet the family, to explain herself, and get punished accordingly,”

What?

He invited her?

“To my house?” I cocked up a brow, “And you didn’t think to ask me first?” My tone dropped dangerously low, my wolf now itching to rip the eyes off the man in front of him. Luke was visibly squirming in his seat but he didn’t avoid my gaze.

“It had completely crossed my mind—”

Just then, there was the sound of the dining room doors being opened and soft clicks hitting the ground, approaching them.

Luke stood up, “She's here!” Luke said, turning around and my eyes unwillingly following the man's line of sight.

The view had me floored.

Her once waist length red curls rested just above her shoulders, her grey eyes met mine almost immediately.

Her lips were as lush as I remembered them. She wore a deep blue dress that hugged her now voluptuous curves and accentuated her figure. Her eyes looked tired and her cheeks sunken in, like she hadn’t slept properly in days but by the goddess she was so beautiful my entire body stirred just looking at her.

“Andrea,” I heard Luke say.

Andrea?

It was a name that suited her perfectly!

Wait.

She was the mother of Luke's child?

Her eyes never left mine, was she as shocked as I that we’d both met under such circumstances?

But then again, she probably knew she would meet me here seeing as the sound of my name made her run for the hills the last time I saw her.

Why did I suddenly feel so angry at the thought of Luke being the father of her child?

Even Luke looked shocked by her appearance…

“Good evening, I’m sorry we had to meet this way but I had no other way of contacting you,” Her voice was like music to my ears, it felt like she was speaking to me…compelling me with her raspy siren voice.

“Well—ahem!” Luke cleared his throat, “All that matters is that you’re here now…everyone,” He then reached out and tried to hold her hand to which she flinched away, giving me an unexpected satisfaction.

Luke frowned, “…this is the woman I was just speaking about,”

Something was wrong.

She wasn’t looking at Luke but at me.

Her eyes were compelling, holding me in place, leaving me confused and wanting.

My brows furrowed as my eyes met hers without wavering. Was she still in shock or did she have something to say to me as well?

“The mother of my son,” Luke announced yet again only this time, it made me extremely upset and my fingers twitched at my sides.

Maybe it was time to leave this dinner.

“Mother of your son?” She finally looked up at my nephew, brows furrowed with obvious confusion.

“I never said anything about Cole being yours, Luke,”

There was a certain chill in her voice when she spoke to Luke, no doubt their relationship hadn’t ended on a good note.

“What?” Luke's eyes damn near popped out from his head as his expression of shock slowly morphed into anger.

“Then why the fuck are you here?!” Luke reached out to grab her again and this time he was faster, his nails digging deep into her wrist and it pissed me off.

The woman didn’t show any emotion.

She acted like she wasn’t in pain.

She turned to me again.

“My son…he's yours,”

My eyes narrowed as I tried to process her words.

“Bullshit!” Luke cursed when he finally realized who she was talking to, “My uncle can’t have children you lying wench! Did you just come here to disgrace me?!”

She rolled her eyes, “Not everything is about you, Luke!”

He let go of her hand like her skin had burned him, looking at her like she was a stranger.

She brought up her other hand and massaged her wrist as she walked up to me, tears gathering in her eyes as she faced me.

“Please…I need your help,” She pleaded, the desperation in her eyes clear as day.

But there was no way in hell she was speaking the truth much less something like that happening after just one night together.

Right?

But what if?

“Please, Alpha I…your son needs your help!”

I looked down at her, my eyes filled with confusion.

“He's…mine?”