Alethea
Get dressed right this minute! she snaps, tossing some clothes at Asher. Her voice is filled with an anger that makes my wolf tense. I know she’s beyond furious, more than I could have imagined.
I guess it makes sense. My wolf finally saw Asher’s wolf, and maybe his wolf had been dying to connect with mine too.
But when it finally happened, I lost control. I couldn’t stop myself. Last I checked, we were barely tolerating each other, constantly at odds about whether Declan was his son or not.
“Both of you are here while your son is out there?” Selena’s voice trembles as she places a hand over her mouth, trying to hold back the emotions threatening to consume her. “Goddess, I don’t even know what’s happening to my baby right now!”
But she has to be kidding me right now-she just let it slip. She just revealed that Declan is Asher’s son.
My whole body goes stiff. I don’t dare look at him, but I don’t need to. I can feel his rage like a storm rolling in, it’s heavy and suffocating.
Asher is already dressed. His jaw is clenched so tight I swear his teeth might break, and his fists balled up at his sides. He heard Selena. He knows.
I swallow hard, my heart hammering against my ribs. Slowly, I turn, every instinct screaming at me to run. I don’t want to have this conversation with him.
What the hell was Selena thinking, letting that slip?
Just as I’m about to round the corner, a strong hand yanks me back. The force is firm but not meant to hurt me.
Still, the sparks that shoot through my body from his touch make my legs go weak. Damn it. I can’t afford to be weak, not now-not just from his touch.
I spin around, and my breath catches when I see his eyes. They’re blazing, burning with fury.
“What the hell, Ally?!” His voice is raw with anger, his veins popping like they might burst. His eyes flash, darkening with his wolf’s rage.
“I thought you said that boy isn’t mine!” His voice carries so much authority it shakes me to my core. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to it.
I know there’s no escaping now. He’s found out.
“What if he is your son, Asher?” My voice comes out defensive, my heart pounding against my ribs. “Yes, what if he is? Will you take him away from me?”
His hands clamp down on my shoulders, shaking me slightly, his frustration spilling over. “Congratulations, Ally. You were so scared of me taking him from you that you lied, and now look where we are! Goddamn you, Ally!”
I slap his hands away. “What the hell, Asher?! Don’t you dare throw that in my face right now!”
I take a step closer, refusing to back down. He watched me, seething, but he didn’t move.
“Tell me, Asher-what did you expect me to do?” My voice shakes with anger, my chest heaving. “Tell me!”
I can’t stand it. I can’t stand him yelling at me like this like I wanted things to turn out this way.
Asher drags a hand through his hair, his frustration radiating off him like a storm about to break. His dark eyes bore into mine.
“Was it so hard to tell me?!” His voice is edged with pain. “Was it so fucking hard to tell me that I had a son, Ally?”
His fist slams into his other palm, “Fuck!” He exhales sharply, his chest rising and falling like he’s struggling to breathe.
“I had this dream three years ago. A pup-alone, scared-stuck in the forest. He was calling for his mother, abandoned, lost. I never gave it much meaning, but now…” His voice trails off, his eyes flash like he’s reliving something he’s tried to bury.
I can’t take this. I don’t want to hear it. My whole body feels like it’s on fire, but not from the mate bond-from anger, from the wounds he left on my heart. I cross my arms, my nails digging into my skin as I glare at him.
“You didn’t fucking want me, Asher! How the hell was I supposed to believe you’d want my son?” I say with a shaky voice, but I don’t back down.
“And I will never let Maya play stepmother to my pup. You hear me?”
His face twists, and his wolf flashes behind his furious eyes. “You have no fucking right, Ally!” he growls, with authority, the Alpha in him pushing forward.
A bitter laugh escapes me. It’s almost funny-this is the same man who pushed me away, who acted like I was beneath him. And now he’s acting like he has a claim?
“No right?” I step closer, my heart pounding, my wolf stirring beneath my skin. “I have every fucking right, Asher. And I would do it all over again.”
His jaw clenches, with heavy breathing
“You wanted nothing to do with me. You made it very clear, remember? I was beneath you. Not good enough. Wolves like me don’t end up with powerful Alphas like you.” I throw his own words back at him, as my lips curl in mockery.
Then, without another word, I turn on my heel and storm past him.
The look on his face is almost comical. He wasn’t expecting that. But I don’t care. Let him choke on his own words-just like I did all those years ago when he rejected me.
My heart tightens painfully as the thought of my son fills my mind. Where is my son? The fear claws at my chest until I can’t breathe. Then, as if my body can’t contain it anymore, a heart-wrenching cry rips from my throat.
I don’t know what to do. I don’t know who to call. I just wish-goddess, I just wish-someone would pick up the phone and tell me that my son is safe, that he’s somewhere waiting for me.
With panic, I take off running. My legs move on their own, my breath coming in sharp gasps as I race down the road toward home. My heart pounds so loudly in my ears that I almost didn’t notice the figure sitting on the front porch.
Who could that be? My stomach twists with unease as I slow my steps. Then, as I got closer, I let out a shaky breath. Harvey.
Relief crashes into me, but it does little to calm me.
The moment Harvey sees me, he’s on his feet, rushing toward me.
“Have you found my son?” I blurt out as if I had given him the responsibility of searching for Declan.
Before he can answer, a sudden vision flashes through my mind.
I see Declan.
He’s in the forest, his small body trembling with fear, his wide eyes darting around as if searching for help. He looks so lost, so terrified.
My stomach drops.
Then, Asher’s words from earlier came rushing back to my mind.
“I had this dream three years ago… A pup, alone, scared, stuck in the forest…”
No. No.
“Deck!” I gasp, my eyes snapping to Harvey.
Harvey holds my gaze for a long moment before shaking his head slowly. His face is full of pity, and it makes my chest tighten even more.
“I promise I’ll get him back home safe to you,” he says. “I’ll make a few calls right now. I’ll alert security.”
“You’ll do that? Thank you-thank you so much.” Without thinking, I throw my arms around him, clinging to him as if he’s my last shred of hope.
He stiffens at first, clearly caught off guard, but after a moment, he relaxes and rubs a hand gently on my back.
“Let me be on my way,” he pulls away. Then, without another word, he turns and leaves.
I stand there for a moment, watching him disappear into the night, before sinking onto the front porch steps.
I don’t know what else to do but wait and pray.
My mind won’t stop racing. Where is my boy? Is he scared? Cold? Hungry?
Then, a terrifying thought grips me. Would this have never happened if I had just told Asher the truth?
Was Declan always reaching out for his father? Was the bond between them pulling him toward Asher all this time?
I bury my face in my hands as my heart pounds with questions I can’t answer. All I hope is that my son is strong enough to hold on until we find him.
Suddenly, the sharp ringing of my phone snaps me out of my daze. My heart lurches. Who could it be?
I don’t have my phone on me-I must have left it inside. But my senses are heightened, making it easy to trace the sound. I move quickly, as I follow the ringing into the living room.
The sound is coming from my bag. My fingers tremble as I dig through it. I don’t even bother checking the caller ID. My instincts scream at me to answer immediately.
I press the phone to my ear. “Hello?” My voice is barely above a whisper.
“Alethea,” Harvey’s voice comes through, and just from the tone, I know something is wrong.
The next words out of his mouth make the blood drain from my face. My vision blurs, my legs go weak. I can barely breathe as a sharp, piercing pain grips my chest.
“No.” I shake my head violently, my voice trembling. “No, no, no!”