It was a bad move. An inappropriate decision. An unfair one. Alina doesn’t deserve to be jerked around like that by me, especially when the prophecy still presents an insurmountable barrier between us.
Hell, if it weren’t for the pack, I’d let her ruin me. I wouldn’t care. It’d be a privilege to be ruined by her, whatever that means.
But there are other lives on the line.
It’s better that I keep my hands off her, better that I don’t tempt fate.
With a resigned sigh, I confirm once and for all that there’s no pervasive Blackburn scent hovering too close for comfort, then hop into the cab of my truck.
Then, despite Alina’s arguments that she’s more than capable of protecting herself and Noah on her own, I settle into the driver’s seat and lean my head back, preparing myself for another restless night as my mate’s unwanted guardian.
But this time, by dawn, I’ll be gone. I’ll make myself scarce and watch from a distance.
Distance is good. Distance is better.
The next afternoon, I’m groggy and grouchy as I push open the door to The Diner. I barely got any sleep. Not just because I spent the night upright in the seat of my truck, but also because I couldn’t stop thinking about what went down in Alina’s kitchen.
Every time I tried to drift into unconsciousness, my mind would restart the tape, and memories would flood my thoughts. It didn’t help that her scent was all over me. Cloying and sweet, tickling my nose and clinging to my skin.
When her house started to stir with activity, I had driven some ways down the road, shifted, and then circled back around to watch from within the cover of the trees. I waited there, concealed among the dense ferns, as Noah skipped toward the bus and then, about ten minutes later, Alina left for her shift.
After that, I went back home. Showered and changed my clothes. Offered some excuses to Cal that I’m certain he’s no longer buying. Said hello to my mother and played the role of a doting son, the Alpha prince.
Then, as soon as I could reasonably get away, I came back here.
I’m exhausted, but the sight of Noah sitting at his usual booth in the back of the restaurant makes me forget about that.
Alina, too, also kickstarts my heart. She’s behind the bar when I wander into the space, and she offers me nothing more than a simple nod in lieu of a real greeting. It’s better than nothing, though. Better than an outright glare.
I sit down across the table from Noah. He has a plate of apple slices in front of him, courtesy of the kitchen.
He grins at me. “Hi, Dad.”
“Hi, son.” I gesture to the notebook open in front of him. “What’s that?”
Noah sighs heavily. “Math homework. I hate it.”
“I thought you were good at math?” I’m pretty sure I remember Alina mentioning it in passing. Or maybe it was something he said the first time I came to see him here.
“Well, I thought I was,” he grumbles. “But we just started long division with decimals, and it’s really confusing.”
“Can I help?”
Noah tilts his head to the side, observing me with eyes that are the mirror image of mine. “Are you good at math?”
“I was great at it in school. They put me on the accelerated track, which means I took calculus when everyone else was still in algebra.”
“Calculus sounds scary.”
I chuckle. “It’s not.”
He frowns thoughtfully. “Do you have to be good at math to be an Alpha?”
There’s a twinge of concern in his eyes, and somehow, I understand exactly where it comes from. He might be young, but he’s a smart kid. He knows what I am, and he knows that he’s my son, therefore, it isn’t hard for him to deduce what that makes him, too. A young Alpha.
Young, and yet already concerned that he won’t measure up. I felt the same way when I was his age.
“Absolutely not,” I assure him. “But I promise I can help. Long division is fun.”
Noah wrinkles his nose at me. I’m laughing again. I adore this kid. My kid. I hardly know him at all, and yet I know that I love him as if I’ve been in his life from the very beginning.
“If you say so,” he mutters, then pushes the notebook toward me. “So, the first problem we have to solve is right here, with thirty-two-point-six-seven-five divided by…”
I settle into the booth, smiling as I help him work through his homework, and I swear I’ve never felt more content with anything in my entire life.
All the while, however, there is a significant portion of my attention fixated on Alina. She looks so beautiful in the dim, warm lighting, and even with her untidy braids and plain cotton tee, I swear she looks more like an angel than a real person. To think that fate could have ever deemed me worthy enough to be her Mate is still something that I’m trying to wrap my mind around, even a decade later.
Alina moves with such quiet confidence, and I soak in every detail of her charming mannerisms and playful quips as she goes about her business behind the bar.
She is intoxicating. She is perfect. I think I’d give anything to make her truly mine.
Alina
“I can’t believe you kept that from me.”
“Zahra-“
“I mean, I’m not angry. Believe me. I understand why you did it. It’s just…crazy.”
I snort softly. “Yeah, tell me about it.”
There’s only about half an hour left of my shift, and Zahra has come to keep me company at the bar. The Diner has been pretty dead today. Not even Old Betty and Old Joe have been around, and they’re some of my favorite regulars.
Over in the corner, Rowan is helping Noah with his math homework. The scene is so simple and sweet that it makes my heart ache.
I’m trying so hard to hold on to my hatred for him. Unfortunately, every new piece of evidence that presents itself proves that Rowan has never had malicious intentions toward me. When he rejected me, it was for the good of the pack. And, if he is to be believed, he hasn’t touched another woman since me.
Which, for a man in his twenties, is really quite an impressive feat.
“I just don’t understand why you didn’t stick around, babe,” Zahra continues after a minute, glancing over her shoulder toward Rowan. “
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.