Chapter 35

Elroy’s POV

I wanted to punch a hole in the wall. This was impossible, obviously, given the walls were thick stone, but the intention remained! "Damn it!" I growled, pacing inside my mom’s rooms.

I resisted the urge to snarl. I didn’t want to upset Mom.

"That so-called 'emergency' was nothing but a routine inventory issue,” I vented. “Our resource manager could have handled it blindfolded! The council was just pissy that I was spending time with my Mate."

"Oh, sweetheart," Mom sighed, reaching out to touch my arm. "I'm sorry you missed Olivia. She just left a few minutes ago." I could tell; the scent of my Mate still lingered in the air, a taunting reminder of how close I’d been to seeing her.

"I haven't really seen her in days, Mom. This investigation... it's consuming all her time."

I ran a hand through my hair, frustration giving way to worry. "She's up before dawn and doesn't come to bed until long after midnight. I'm worried she's pushing herself too hard."

Mom sat me down, her touch soothing despite my agitation. "Have you talked to her about it?"

"I've tried," I said, slumping onto the seat. "But it’s not like I can pull her off the investigation, and not just because she’d probably kill me for it. I just want to make sure she's taking care of herself—our child needs her to be healthy and rested."

Mom's eyes sparkled with amusement as she patted my knee, which disgruntled me even further. What part of this was funny?

"Oh, my sweet boy, Olivia's fine. It's you I'm worried about. Your fuse seems to have shortened considerably these past few days."

I bristled. "What are you talking about?"

"It's a side effect, you know," Mom said, her tone light and teasing. "Being separated from your Mate during the honeymoon phase can make even the most level-headed Alpha a bit... testy."

"That's ridiculous," I scoffed, crossing my arms. There was no honeymoon phase in a contract marriage, but I couldn’t tell my mother that. "My wolf is just being overprotective because of the pregnancy, it’s perfectly natural.”

Mom raised an eyebrow, and somehow I immediately felt young and dumb again. "Don't be stupid, Elroy. Recognize your own feelings. You're not just worried; you're longing for her."

I opened my mouth to argue, but the words died on my tongue. My mother was right, as usual. I missed Olivia with an intensity that surprised me—and more importantly, worried me.

We were in a contract. Our marriage was a business deal. I couldn’t go fucking that up because my Alpha instincts couldn’t tell the difference between protectiveness and love.

Mom's expression softened. "There's something else you should know. Olivia had some questions about our family today."

My heart skipped a beat. "What kind of questions?"

"Nothing too specific," Mom assured me. "I only gave her the bare minimum, but Elroy... you're going to need to give her the full story sooner rather than later."

A cold dread settled in my stomach. “It’s not a pretty story, Mom,” I reminded uselessly. As if she didn’t know that better than anyone.

I was ashamed of our history. I was ashamed of my roots, at least that half of them, and I could readily admit that. I couldn’t imagine anyone wanting to be part of such a twisted family, especially not when they had a choice.

Mom shook her head firmly. "Olivia's here to stay, Elroy. She couldn't just leave the pack even if she wanted to."

Once again Mom saw through what I said to what I meant—I didn’t want Olivia to run. I wouldn’t blame her if she did, but that didn’t change the fact that she was my Mate, my Luna, the mother of my child! If my family’s dark past scared her away, then…

But my mom was right. An average pack member could sever their ties with their pack at their own discretion, though very few ever did, but it was different for Olivia. She’d gone through the Luna ceremony, the Goddess had accepted her as Eclipse’s Luna—she was a different type of attached now.

She had more or less been chosen by the Moon Goddess, and the price for that honor and power was the ability to leave at will. I couldn’t do it either, as Alpha; the pack as a whole would have to agree to terminate our positions, and that didn’t just mean the council. I knew Olivia was loved by the so-called ‘lower class’ that made up most of the pack, there was no way they’d ever vote to remove her even if given the chance.

The memory of Olivia's anguish when she'd been rejected by her former pack flashed through my mind, making my wolf whine in distress. It had been hard to watch, terrifying actually, because despite her stoicism it genuinely looked like the life was draining from her for a moment.

I couldn’t believe she’d survived it once, I couldn’t imagine she’d be able to do it again. That kind of pain, that soul-deep anguish I saw on her that day…I didn’t want her to ever feel like that again.

That thought crossed the boundary between professional concern and personal concern. And that was when I realized a terrible truth: I wasn’t worried about Olivia leaving the pack, not really. I was worried about Olivia leaving me.