Chapter Twenty-Eight
Alpha Blake
Sitting outside with Ryley, watching the sunset, felt right. It felt natural. Like itâs always been us. Nothing was awkward as we sat in silence, sipping our coffees. The only thing that would make this better, is if she was sitting in my lap, wrapped in my arms. And our boys were here.
âHow would you play with Ryley if the boys were here?â Gunner questioned.
âNot everything is about sex, Gunner. Yes, I want that, but with the boys here it would feel like we are a family.â I explained.
âFamily? Thatâs a nice idea, Blake. We were only a family for a few days after Aspen was born. And Aspen deserves to have a family. But how are you going to convince Ryley to join our pack? Whoever Channingâs father is, she is terrified to have him find them,â Gunner pointed out.
I knew all of this. I wish she would trust me enough to keep her safe. To keep them both safe. I donât just want Ryley for a night. I would make her my Luna tomorrow if she would allow it. The thought of anything happening to either of them has my heart twisting painfully. And I canât keep them safe if they leave at the end of the summer.
âBlake, can I ask you something?â Ryleyâs voice pulled me from my thoughts. I looked over at her, her eyes on the sky. The stars were slowly coming out.
âSure,â I breathed out.
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âCan you tell me about Luna Mia? Aspen likes to tell me stories he has heard about her,â she asked. A small smile on her lips, when she turned to look at me.
âI met Mia when Luca and I went to a party one night. She had just turned eighteen. She wasnât from an alpha family but I didnât care. She was kind and loving. We were mated for almost three years when she finally conceived. I didnât know about her blood disorder until she was almost due to give birth. If I had known, I never would have allowed her to become pregnant.â I stopped to take a deep breath. Replaying the day she told me was devastating. I was so excited to be a father until it could cost me, my mate. I jumped when Ryley placed her hand on mine.
âShe wanted you to always have a piece of her. She knew how important it was for an alpha to have an heir. It wasnât about the cost of her life, it was about making you happy.â She gave me a small smile.
âAfter she gave birth to Aspen. We thought she was in the clear. I was so thankful to have both of them alive,â my voice cracked, as emotions from that day came rushing back. I looked up at the sky.
âWhat I didnât know was she was bleeding internally. It was slow and the doctors overlooked it until it was too late. Aspen was three days old,â I finished, taking deep breaths to calm my racing heart.
âIâm sorry, Blake. Truly.â She whispered. I looked over at her, her eyes were glossy with unshed tears.
âAspen told me some of the wonderful things Mia did for the pack. She was an amazing Luna and you should be proud. She didnât have to be a Luna wolf to be a great leader and mother.â She told me and I almost broke. Ryley cares about my mate and Aspenâs mother. Itâs strange to me. Most women donât want to hear about that part of my life. About me loving another woman.
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Chapter Twenty-Eight
âDid your mate die?â I asked her and it was her turn to sigh.
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âNo, he claimed another. Not that it matters. He never knew I was his mate. And I was s**pid enough to believe his lies. He doesnât know about Channing and Iâm sure he thinks Iâm dead.â She shrugged.
âI donât understand. Did you leave your pack because he claimed another?â I asked her.
âNo. I was forced to leave-before-that. I was already pregnant with Channing but didnât know. But I would have left anyways. There was no way I could stay after his betrayal.â She confessed.
âIs that why you wonât join a pack? Youâre afraid he will find you and Channing?â I questioned.
âIâm not afraid of him. I could kill him. I do worry about Channing. No matter how much I think he is a complete waste of a wolf, he is still Channingâs father. I didnât join a pack because I donât want to be told what I can and cannot do with my life. My entire life was mapped out for me and then it was gone. I did everything almost all alone and Iâm not willing to give up that freedom. I canât afford to be weak and Channing will always come first.â Ryley said.
âFor the record, Ryley, you arenât weak. And this guy may have been your mate but he was an idiot to think he could replace a woman like you. I may not know the details, but I do know that. And you raising a child on your own at seventeen, makes you the strongest person I know.â I told her and every word I spoke was the truth. I could see in her stormy grey eyes, how much he broke her. Talking about him hurts.
I stood up from my chair and walked back into the cabin. I could hear Ryley mumbling under her breath. But I wasnât leaving. I came back with a blanket over my arm and I held my hand out for hers. She
Chapter Twenty-Eight
furrowed her brow before placing her hand in mine.
âI think itâs dark enough for my first constellation lesson.â
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