Everly POV
I had been trying to avoid the conversation all night, but Valarian followed me around the Hotel like a
bad smell, and as we went to the apartment, I had no choice but to face the pint-sized Alpha. I never
thought I would fear my son, but his aura was in full force. All afternoon people had been glancing at
him as he followed me around the Hotel while I worked. I could see their curiosity, and this afternoon
there was no way I could deny what he was, that he was an Alpha child.
Even Zoe had been wary around him, and as soon as we finished for the day, she practically bolted to
bathe Casey, leaving me with my fuming son.
Valarian slams the door as he walks in after me, the bang is loud, and he never acted out this way, but
at least he held his tongue while I worked because I could tell he was angry. I stepped out of my shoes,
and I could feel his gaze watching me, wanting answers I wasn’t sure I could give him but also knew I
couldn’t avoid for much longer. The officer had said too much in front of him.
“You lied to me,” Valerian states as I flick the kettle on. I grab two mugs down from the cupboard,
intending to make him hot chocolate, but he smacks my hands as I go to set the mugs on the counter,
the glass shattering on the ground at my feet. I press my lips together at his acting out. I know he is
mad, but there was no need for that.
“Enough, ” I snap at him, and he glares at me.
“You lied,” he says before growling and startling me. “I did not lie; I just didn’t tell you the whole truth, “
“You said my father wasn’t your mate. You said he didn’t live in this city,”
” I never said that; you just assumed he didn’t live here, and I simply let you believe you were correct, “
“I hate you,” Valarian snarls at me, tears burning his eyes, and guilt runs through me. His words twisted
my stomach painfully.
“Valarian, you don’t understand. It isn’t safe for you to know him,”
“Why? I hate that everyone says you are a rogue- whore. That everyone treats us differently. I see the
way people look at you because we aren’t part of a pack because you don’t have a mate,” Valerian
says.
“We don’t need him, I don’t need him, we do fine on our own, ” I try to tell him while reaching for him.
“You may not want him as a mate, but I want my dad. I don’t want to be the rogue-whores son, I don’t
want to be treated the way everyone treats you, I want my dad,” Valarian cries.
Pain radiates through my chest at his words, the rogue -whores-son. He hated how people saw me,
saw him, and that realization hurt more than anything else he had said. It was one thing for an adult to
be embarrassed but for him to be embarrassed for what I am called. For the first time in a long time, I
was ashamed of the title bestowed on me. I rub a hand down my face trying to find a way to explain.
“Well, you can’t have him, he”
“Does he know about me?” Valerian cuts me off, and I look at him. His bottom lip quivers, and a tear
escapes and rolls down his cheek, I reach for him again, but he steps away from me.
“Does my dad know I exist?” he asks again. “As I said, Valarian, it isn’t safe, “
” For you or for me? ” he demands. This boy was so much more intelligent than I gave him credit for,
more observant than I gave him credit for. He was far too advanced than he should be for a child of his
age.
“He doesn’t, does he? Was everything you said a lie? What about your family?” I sigh.
“My family tossed me away when they found out I was pregnant with you; they threw me away because
I was rogue-whore, “
“But the officer, he said this Valen was your mate, that I looked like him,” Of all the times Valen could
mess with me, why did it have to be when my son was present to witness?
“Alpha Valen is your father. He is also my mate,” I admit to him.
“Then why isn’t it safe? He has a pack. We could be a real family.”
“We are real family Valarian; we don’t need him to be a real family. We have Zoe and Macey and
everyone here, ” I explain. “It’s not the same, ” “It is,”
“It’s not!” he screams at me.
” Sometimes family isn’t what you expect it to be, Valerian. My family doesn’t want me. You have
people here that are family to us. They want us,”
“And my father? Would he want me if he knew about me? Does he want you?” I drop my head, and my
shoulders sag.
“It’s not safe, “
“Why?” Valerian screams, his face turning red.
“Because he will take you from me! ” I yell back at him when Zoe comes out.
“Everly?” Zoe asks before pointing at the door. I hadn’t realized how angry I had become, and Valarian
looked at me for the first time with fear in his eyes. Startled by his fearful expression, I look down to see
my claws had slipped out. Zoe tugs Valarian away from me, and he lets her comfort him, something I
should be doing and not her.
“Go! Run it off, Everly, ” Zoe says, and Valarian rushes off to his room.
“Valarian! ” I call after him, but Zoe grips both my arms.
“Go, calm down. You can talk to Valarian tomorrow when everyone is more levelheaded,”
Valen POV
Officer Richards rang just as I was getting ready to sit down for dinner. The phone rang on the table
beside me, and I smiled while wondering how long Everly would take before she would ring and abuse
me about harassing her friends or if she would even bother at all.
“Richards, ” I answered.
“Alpha, I did what you asked, but no more, I can’t do it tomorrow, “
“And why is that?”
“Well, for one, she threatened me with you for starters, and secondly, I don’t want to ruin my chances
with Zoe,”
“What do you mean to ruin your chances with Zoe?”
“I um, turns out my son has a daughter, she agreed to let me bring Olena to meet her,”
“Wait, Micha has a daughter?”
“Yes, Zoe’s child is my granddaughter; I met her today when I pulled her over,”
I sigh, no doubt Micha had some explaining to do, and he wanna do the right thing by Zoe and her kid.
“That’s fine, Richard. You have done enough, ” I tell him.
“Thank you Alpha, I can send you the tickets if you like?”
“No, it’s fine. I trust you,” I tell officer Richard’s before hanging up. Well, that was short -lived. I had
barely placed my phone down when it rang in my hand again. My father’s face popping up on the
screen, and I groan. Marcus was quietly stewing over his car and sitting across from me when I handed
him the phone.
He glances at it and grits his teeth before rolling his eyes and answering it.
“Alpha Kalen,” he answers in a bored tone. I hear my father ask where I am before Marcus answers.
“He is taking a shit, ate something, and been running back and forth from the toilet all night, ” I grit my
teeth and glare at him from across the table, and he smiles.
“Yep, has a severe case of runny bum, crapped his pants in the elevator too, shit explosion, ” my fists
clench, and Marcus smirks at me, knowing if I speak, he would have to put me on the phone.
“I will be sure to tell him, night Alpha, ” Marcus hangs up the phone, and I growl at him.
“Was that f*cking necessary?” I snap at him. “Answer your own damn phone then,” he retorts. Oh, and
your father recommends gastro stop,
apparently you can get it from a chemist, ” he taunts. “What did he want?”
“He wanted to know if you made your mind up about Ava, ” Marcus shrugs before cutting into his steak.
I was not marrying that woman, I wanted nothing to do with Alpha John, and the fact my father meddled
still ticked me off. Me rejecting her would undoubtedly cause a war between packs, but I refuse to
marry that girl.
“Richards?” He asks. I shrug.
“He said he won’t help anymore,”
“So that’s it, she gets away with wrecking my car? “
“She didn’t wreck your car. Besides, I am planning on heading over there tomorrow; you can come if
you want?” I smile, and his eyes light up. Marcus had been begging me to take him there all day so he
could give her a piece of his mind.
“About time, I get to meet this woman that has you swooning and begging at her feet, ” I roll my eyes at
his dramatics.
“I want to meet the woman who trashed my car and thinks she can get away with it,” he adds.
“Oh, she can get away with it because she is my mate,
“If you expect me not to say something to her, you are sadly mistaken; she crossed the wrong Beta, “
“You do realize you are her Beta too, right?” “Only once you mark her,”
“Be nice, ” I tell him, digging into my dinner, and I couldn’t help the excitement bubble up within me,
knowing I would be going to see her tomorrow.
“What do you plan on doing about your father?” Marcus asks me, and I don’t think I have another
choice but to tell him now. It would be best we sorted this feud out before it became an all-out war.
“Maybe tell him you found your mate,” Marcus offers, and I nod.
“Yeah, I don’t think I have a choice now, ” I tell him honestly, and he hums in agreement.
“All I know is I can’t wait to meet her. If she has you this worked up, I bet she is a real crazy one in
person, ” he laughs. I glare at him, and he shrugs.
“Well, she must be crazy. Who rejects an Alpha, especially a rogue woman?” He says.
“Any luck on her last name?” I ask him.
“Nope, not really. I did find a Summers, however, but it was a maiden name, “
“Are you going to leave me in suspense or tell me, maybe that’s how she became rogue, maybe she
divorced someone, “
“Doubtful, and I doubt there is any relation because I could not see the Alpha shunning a family
member, “
“There is no Alpha’s with the last name Summers, ” I tell him.
“No, not an Alpha but a Luna; Summer’s is the maiden name of Alpha John’s Wife. Claire Summers, ”
Marcus tells me. I sigh another dead end.
However, something bothered me. Something Ava had said to her father before he cut her off, it has to
be a coincidence. If Alpha John had another child, we would know about her by now, just look at Ava;
she was already a handful for him, and if he had another child. Indeed, he wouldn’t be allowing the
wayward one to be his successor if that were the case.
62fb1bb41dcb31934bd49bda