AlishaDamn it.This wasn’t what I expected.If I had known it was the Red Wolf Pack I wouldn’t have agreed to meet with them.I tried to maintain my stoic face as I stared at Derek who was staring at me in shock.Why was he the one I had to meet with? What curse had fate given to me that i would meet with him like this?“Alisha?” Mischa turned to me with questions in her eyes. Then as I met her gaze, understanding filled them and then horror and regret.“So,” i heard the clearing of a throat and saw it was Benjamin, the one who used to call me sister in law so fondly before-I schooled my face into a stoic expression.Act like a leader, Alisha. You’re not here to reopen old wounds.“I hope you haven’t been waiting long,” i regarded Derek with a nod. “I believe we should have the meeting now and get this over with.”With practiced ease I gestured to Mark who nodded and began to round up some men to scout.“Mommy,” Ares reached up with both hands, clearly wanting to be carried. I melte
Derek:I had well and truly screwed up.I stood watching my mate walk away from me holding the hands of my two children that I had never known existed. She never looked back.Her words and furious glare at me had more than stung; it was like a dagger straight to my heart, to be unable to even get to hold my children.Only once they disappeared into a tent did I realize I had been staring.I could hardly breathe and I turned away and stormed off, barely paying attention to my best friend calling my name.I walked through the forest, feeling a mix of emotions burn through me. I was a fool.I had been a fool to let her go.I had become drawn in by Sebastian’s words and how he mocked me for taking Alisha as my mate.But had I ever thought to ask her why she left the Silver Moon Pack? No. I had only been cruel to her and let her go without a glance. Because I had been angry at her for keeping those details of her past from me.What if she had kept it from me because she knew I would be ups
Mischa:I had yet to talk to my best friend just yet, and after bidding everyone else goodnight, I stepped towards the tent she occupied.“Do you need to pee?” Alisha was asking her twins, and they both shook her head. “You sure? Your stomach doesn’t hurt?” She asked again, which I knew was the same kind of routine she did every day when they went to bed or took naps during our travels. After a warm, wet and mildly uncomfortable experience nearly a month ago, she had begun to make asking them constant questions on their bladder and bowel movements a regular thing. “Okay, tuck in time,” she said to their beaming faces and they immediately got to lie down on the sleeping bags.Alisha looked tense as soon as I came in so I knew that she knew I was there, it I stayed silent and smiled at the twins who waved at me while Alisha tucked them in.Now that I had met Derek, the father of the twins, I could see a lot of resemblance they had to him. Aria clearly had her father’s eyes and hair, an
Derek:I was speechless and unable to even move as my best friend’s mate raised her voice at me.She continued, “I saw her care for my dying father even when she had no one caring for her! If not for her I wouldn’t have had a chance to bid my father a goodbye! When we escaped that place we ran! Without rest! She never said a word about it even when she was the pregnant one! And you know what? Even as a mother with so many duties resting on her shoulders, she never makes her children feel abandoned! She’s a good mother, just like she always wanted to be!”Those words cut through me.I tried not to let it but it was practically impossible.I felt regret as I saw the tears slipping down Mischa’s face and Benjamin held her, trying to calm her down.“It’s enough,” he murmured in her ear softly to her. “Misch, stop.”She finally fell silent and I couldn’t bring myself to say a word to her.The tears rolling down her cheeks were enough to cause me pain and she buried her face in Benjamin’s c
Alisha:I couldn’t contain my rage well enough as Ares asked Derek that question. Immediately I stood up and grabbed my son’s hands, tugging him away before Derek could even say a word.“Mommy-“ Ares aimed his deep blue eyes at me, looking innocent and confused. I couldn’t bring myself to be angry with him. No, that anger was saved for my best friend and Derek himself.“Go to Aunt Hilda, Ares,” I said with firmness in my voice. “Now.”It was the most chastising tone I could use on my children. I never liked the idea of raising my voice at them. As Ares followed his sister who was already halfway to where Hilda was seated with the other women, I closed my eyes briefly and took in a deep breath, exhaling through my mouth.Don’t attack him, I repeated over and over in my head.Then I turned and faced the two, narrowing my eyes at them.I spotted the guilt on Mischa’s face.“Are you happy now?” I asked ber, to which her face fell. Derek took a step forward and my eyes snapped to him, givi
AlishaI was now stuck between a damned rock and a hard place by this. Could I even sent that Dereknwas their father?It was clear by my little ones’ faces that they had heard way more than I bargained for them to.“Yes,” I sighed, and their eyes went round with surprise. Ever since they got to the age where they began to notice their lack of a father figure around they had been asking who their father was. I had denied telling them all this while.“Really?!” Aria looked extremely excited and exchanged a joyful smile with her brother who beamed despite not saying anything. “We have a daddy now!”“Don’t say that,” I said in a firm voice and the immediately stopped looking shocked at how unamused I seemed. “You two shouldn’t talk to him without letting me know, okay? He doesn’t…” I trailed off.“But why not, mommy?” Ares looked defiantly at me and asked, and he reminded me so much of Derek that I had to pause. He was definitely his father’s son I thought to myself. “He’s our Daddy.”“He
Alisha:Entering the pack clinic with its way too familiar scents filled me with more sense of nostalgia and i felt tears well up in my eyes. I walked down the hallways, glad to see that there were no patients. I couldn’t run the risk of being seen.His office door was open and I stood at the doorframe looking in. He wore silver framed glasses now, which surprised me, and he looked busy, bent over the desk and flipping through a patient’s records.I swallowed, a lump in my throat as he looked up, seemingly sensing my presence.As our eyes met, i felt a warmth in my heart build up.“Alisha?” He looked absolutely shocked as if he was staring at a ghost.Then the next second he dropped the folder, rushing to pull me in through the door and enveloping me in a hug.I laughed out loud, feeling a tear slip down my eyes, as I breathed in his welcoming scent that spoke of home.“Hi,” my voice was broken as I tried to contain my turbulent emotions.He released me and looked down to see the two
Derek:No sooner had I finished dressing up after my shower, then I got a knock on the door.“Enter,” i called out, using my fingers to run through my damp hair.A maid stepped in and bowed deeply to me.“Alpha, Beta Gerard is here to see you,” she reported before slipping back out.“Of course,” i murmured aloud to myself. “He never lets me be, does he?”I turned and walked out of my bedroom, and just as the maid had said, Gerard stood right in the middle of the hallway near my study.“Derek,” he barked as soon as he caught sight of me and I cocked a brow at him.“We aren’t close for you to address me by my name, Beta Gerard,” I chastised him, pulling down my anger upon seeing his damned face. His face got reddened and i could hear his low growls as I waited for him to correct his behavior.“Alpha Derek,” he bit out like he was sucking on a sour lemon and I smirked. “Why is it that I’m only hearing about you accepting rogues into this pack?”“Because the rogues only got here,” I answe