106. The False Image

ALPHA RAIDEN

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They were gone…

I stood in front of the apartment they once occupied until I couldn’t see the cars anymore… not even the trail of dust the car tires evoked as they zoomed off.

My mate and my kids were gone.

“It’s never too late to stop them from leaving. They are still within pack territory–” Lex began to utter words that he thought would change my mind about letting Aurelia go if that was what she wanted.

But I shook my head, sadness crawling into my entire being as I countered, “No, Lex. It’s too late and this is where we say our goodbye. I can never get her back but I can still be a part of their lives.”

“That’s not enough. What about the mate bond? What about the dreams you have–”

Oh, the half-broken bond that I had stubbornly held on to? The dreams that can’t come true because I fucked up?

I etched, “It’s time to let the bond and the dream of having my own family go.”

There was no way I would give up on being an awesome father to my kids. I also won’t let Au