Evelyn POV
“Maybe not quite in those words…” I reprimand him playfully, my hands touching his chest. His shirt was just as muddy, even his knees and shins were covered in mud. Boys will be boys.
I don’t know if I felt we were there yet, letting Rex and Elspeth know. I’d protected them throughout their early years, was I ready to unveil what had gone on between Reuben and I…
Rex was only just starting to form a relationship with Reuben, Elspeth had a long way to go yet. She seemed scared of him almost.
Reuben may be acting different to me but he was still the ruthless Alpha King of the Red Stone pack. He was used to getting what he wanted and I knew even from the two years of marriage and attending the war meetings, what he wanted he got.
Very few said no to him. He may not have killed my parents but his behavour in the past made me belief that he was capable of that.
Maybe this wasn’t a good idea? Maybe I would go down a path that would affect Rex and Elspeth too much. What about Noah?
Rex knew, he had always known Noah was his Uncle not his Father. I had corrected Elspeth on numerous occasions that Noah wasn’t her Daddy, but she never let it sink in. Do I have it in me to break her heart?
I was woken up by the sound of the catering staff tidying up the conference hall outside from last night. I had slept peacefully albeit being out in the open air of the balcony.
I move only to realise I am in the strong arms of Reuben, who was fast asleep still, his nose placed on my inner neck. This was a first, we’ve never slept intimately next to each other like this before. I smile at this big scary king next to me, sleeping like a puppy.
Mustn’t get ahead of yourself Evelyn. There was still a lot to discuss, a lot to sort out. “Noah?” I push on the mind-link keen to talk to him about things. He was still a very big part of my family, and I wouldn’t ever do anything without discussing it with him.
“Morning.” His voice returns in my mind.
“I know it’s early but can you meet me downstairs?” He doesn’t answer immediately, which is odd for him. I push back on the link when he finally responds.
“Yes, I’ll be down in five minutes.”
I left Reuben asleep on the day bed and the kids snoring in the bed. I won’t be long and it was still very early, they would be asleep until their rumbling tummies forced them awake.
As I leave the bedroom suite and step down the stairs I hear a door open on the next level down. I watch in complete surprise as Noah carefully closes the door behind him, not even fully dressed. That wasn’t his room, he was assigned to the room next to me.
That room was Cassandra’s. He looks around to see if the landing is clear only to see me stand on the steps. half way down.
“Well look at the dirty little stop out!” I tease through the mind-link. “Not running away I hope?” I continue, I hope I didn’t ruin his morning with Cassandra.
“No, my alpha commanded a word…” He retorts, slightly flustered by being caught. I frown at his response only for him to look up at me and regather his approach.
“I didn’t mean it like that.”
“I can talk later, I didn’t realise I was interrupting.” “You aren’t she’s asleep.” His face pinks with embarrassment as he places his glasses back on.
“Morning!” Candice’s voice beams out at us from the top floor. She walks down the stairs, giving Noah a look of amusement as he remains outside Cassandra’s assigned room.
“I’ll put some coffee on. Will the kids want pancakes?” She asks out-loud. “Yes.” We both answer at the same time as she walks past me down the stairs.
“We will be down shortly.” I offer to her.
“What’s up?” Noah takes a step towards me, only for Candice’s ears to turn into our direction as she goes down the next level of stairs.
The Blue Moon alpha house had four floors and they made the most of each inch of the space. The stairs were carpeted the same cream colour scheme as my assigned rooms, with a dark mahogany wooden stair case and beautiful crystal chandeliers above.
There is no need for me not to trust Candice but I had a pack link with my pack members for a reason and would use it.
“Reuben wants to come back to the pack with us when we return.” I start, trying to make my tone care-free. Noah was my biggest support and biggest protector.
“Oh? Does he not need to go back to the Red Stone pack?”
“Yes I think he does but he’s adamant that he wants to spend more time with the twins and he feels responsible for Vicky.”
He doesn’t answer at first. He removes his glasses and cleans them on the hem of his now creased shirt from last night. A classic sign of him thinking, buying time before answering.
“Evelyn, where is Donnie?” His mood completely changes to seriousness.
“Why?” I frown.
“I think if we knew where Donnie was, Reuben might feel less inclined to stay. He knows you are up to something, as do I?”
Less inclined to stay? What did that mean? That if Donnie wasn’t on a secret mission for me that Reuben wouldn’t want to come back? That his kiss last night wasn’t the mate bond but some sort of plot to manipulate me…
No Reuben wasn’t like that? He’ll say it as it is. Wouldn’t he? I don’t answer at first. His words have stung me causing my back to stiffen.
“He’s safe and in regular contact with me now.”
“Regular? How regular?”
“He’s in a shipping town up north. He found out that Vicky had connections to the town before she joined her mate’s pack.”
“Vicky? You’ve sent him to find Vicky?”
He breathes out.
“Of course I did! I’m not waiting for her to attack us Noah. I won’t let us be sitting ducks again.”
Noah POV
Is that what she thought? That we were sitting ducks, that Vicky would so openly attack us again? I won’t lie I knew the security threat but with Reuben knowing what she has done to Evelyn and even shooting him, Vicky wouldn’t have any means to return.
And return for what? She wasn’t a Luna now or even an influential part of the Red Stone pack and alliance. If anything with Evelyn and Reuben forming a new truce, Vicky had no powers and would stay in exile if not leave the country, if she hasn’t done so already. There wouldn’t be many places she could hide, or packs that would take her in? Let alone be an influential person again..
The majority of the packs were part of either the Red Stone or Silver Moon alliance, any of those once informed of her treachery would assist in helping to capture her.
“What’s going on?” I take a step towards her, placing my hand in hers. We were still conversing through the mind-link but I could sense the alpha house starting to wake up.
“I need to protect…”
“No this is something else. Your emotions are all over the place.” My hand naturally strokes her cheek and I don’t miss the potent scent of Reuben on her. “Did something happen with you and Reuben?”
“No, I mean yes, he stayed in my room. But nothing like that, we just slept on the balcony…” It was her turn for her cheeks to bright red.
“On the balcony?”
“He kissed me…” She admits, placing her face into her hands.
“Really?”
“I think we are mates…”
“You think? Judging by his possessiveness of you last night, it only confirmed what I suspected.”
I had thought for a while that they were mates and last night confirmed it for me. Only a mate would get that possessive especially if an alpha female, in front of a number of people
“I don’t know what to do!”
What do I say? I was extremely protective of Evelyn and the children. They were mine just as much as they were his. What do I say to her?
Do I remind her how heartbroken she was when he picked Vicky over her.
When he accused her of adultery and shunned his own baby thinking it was mine. But then he thought the baby had miscarried from Vicky pulling her down the stairs.
“If he wants to come back to the pack, we can make it work.” I reassure her, pulling her into an embrace.
She pulls away as her bedroom door opens revealing Reuben gazing down at our closeness. His jealous stare with his stormy blue coloured eyes doesn’t last long when Rex and Elspeth brush past him down the stairs to me.
“Daddy…” Elspeth wraps her arms around my legs and I can’t but help feel some guilt that she calls me Daddy and not him I look up at him, his eyes boring into mine. Perhaps we finally needed to have the discussion we started four years ago. But this time his crazed ex wouldn’t be around to manipulate things.
“I’m starving.” Rex claims as he slowly walks down to Evelyn, looking back at Reuben. Not missing the stare between the two of us.
“Candice is making pancakes.” Evelyn announces just as the door behind me opens and Cassandra walks out showered and completely dressed, as if nothing happened between us last night. My scent on her will have faded in the shower.
“Morning!” She smiles awkwardly at Evelyn before heading down the stairs with Elspeth.
“You need to follow her!” Evelyn’s voice urges me through the mind-link. I do as she says, leaving her, Reuben and Rex on the stairs.
“Mum, why do you smell like Alpha Reuben!” It seems just in the nick of time as Rex completely outs his mother.
