Chapter 124

Alaric’s POV

I stare at Cara, simultaneously blindsided and stunned by her words. How can this be?

Our children are alive? Ethan and Mia are our children?

“But they seem so much younger,” I say. “Mia is so small…”

“They were premature,” Cara explains. “Some of the trauma from the accident affected them physically. Mia, unfortunately, suffers from a lowered immune system. She is often sick, many times with illness and weakness the doctors here can’t even properly diagnose.

Cara asked me for help protecting the children. She didn’t need to do this. Even now, I feel my protective instincts nearly overwhelm me.

Our children. Alive. Safe.

Well, in danger. But they will be safe now. I will settle for nothing less.

Cara. Ethan. Mia. My family.

Within me, my wolf finally stirs, as if years of silence are shrugged off in an instant. “Our mate. Our pups.”

To my wolf, in my mind, I promise, “I will not fail them again.”

“I will not let you,” he replies.

In this, we are in agreement. It feels great, like a piece of me is whole once more, everything slotting into place after being misaligned for years.

A surge of happiness rushes through me so hard and fast that I nearly keel over at the feel of it. When was the last time I had ever been so happy? Have I ever been this happy before?

I look at Cara, eager to share my excitement and my love, but stop when I see the trepidation in her eyes and the nervous way she is holding herself, looking at me.

Does she think I will be angry at this news? Yes, she kept this secret from me, and that doesn’t exactly satisfy me. But more than any anger I feel at her, I feel hatred towards myself.

My actions were what caused Cara to believe she couldn’t trust me. My betrayals… My lack of commitment and caring and love… My demands and accusations of her…

My choosing Lilia over my own mate…

All of it set me up as a man who could not be trusted with the truth. Back then, I don’t know what I would have done if she had allowed me into the children’s lives. Maybe it would have changed me, or maybe I would have taken them for granted, just as I had done Cara.

Now, discovering the truth, I am only filled with the most blissful kind of relief. So much suffering. Years of it, finally lifted up and off of my shoulders.

Ethan and Mia. Great children. Perfect, in fact. The result of the love between Cara and me, even if I had not been ready to call it love back when they had been conceived.

Here. Alive.

“I will understand if you hate me,” she says.

I will hear nothing of that. I move forward in a flash, wrapping my arms around her in a tight hug. I lower my head to her shoulder and take in her comforting scent.

Cara. The mother of my children. The woman I love.

The gods have blessed me with this, and I will not take any of it for granted. I will not waste time being angry with Cara, or whatever else she worries I will be.

“You told me now,” I say, allowing that to excuse everything else. “You’ve given me a family. Heirs.”

“Not heirs,” she says quickly.

While she initially relaxed in my embrace, now she tenses up once again.

I step backwards, glancing down at her, confused. “Not heirs?”

“No,” she says. “Please. They are good children, and they deserve freedom. I don’t want to confine them to the kind of life that confines us. My only wish is for them to grow up healthy and happy.”

I try to take in her words. Yes, my childhood left much to be desired, as I was always under pressure of what would be expected of me when I aged up enough to replace my father as Alpha King.

Yet to become Alpha King is a great honor. I would not deny my own children of the chance to rule.

Cara seems serious about this though, looking at me with clear unhappiness.

As the mother of my children, she has as much as in this as I do. The kids, when they are of age, will be the ones to decide then.

Until then, and until I can talk to Cara about this more, I will accept her judgement.

I’m much too happy to be reunited with the children I thought I had lost to start caring about these technicalities. My heart was still too full of light and love.

“I’m sorry I kept this a secret for so long,” she says. “The children deserve a father. And you… I know you will be a good dad. I’m sorry I didn’t let you prove it much sooner than now.”

I shake my head. “I know now. That’s what matters. The past is the past, and the future is ours.”

It’s so easy to forgive her. And by forgiving her for this mistake of the past, maybe I can start to forgive myself as well.

She thinks I’ll be a good father. That’s the main thing that sticks with me, and for her to think that, perhaps that means she can still see the good in me.

Perhaps she could even start to see me as a good mate and a good husband…

“Cara! What are you doing out here?” a voice says from the gate. Recognizing it, I turn, ready to protect my family from any threat.

The person who is there, however, remains an unknown.

Noel.

His face is scrunched with worry. “You shouldn’t be out in the open like this. Anyone could happen by and take another chance on your life.”

Cara takes another step back from me. I can feel it more than see it, as both of my eyes are on Noel, watching his every move as he steps in through the gate and approaches us. I move slightly, stepping between him and Cara while giving him a glare.

I will protect my family from any threat. Noel might be genuine in his intentions, but I have way of knowing that for certain. Until I do, I cannot step aside and allow him such unbridled access to the woman I love, who –

“Move, Alaric,” Cara says gently. “Let me speak with my friend.”

Her… friend?

I half turn to look at her, and in her face I see general affection for Noel as he comes closer. She looks at him as she does a friend. Someone she likes.

The knowledge sits within me like a heavy lead ball, pushing down on my stomach.

“You should get into the house,” Noel tells her, ignoring me. “It’s dangerous out here.”

“I know,” Cara says. “I’m sorry. But Alaric was here. He can keep me safe.”

I puff out my chest slightly, pleased with the praise. Let Noel know how much Cara values me and trusts me to keep her safe.

Noel still doesn’t acknowledge me at all.

“I would feel better if you were inside,” he says.

Cara seems like she is about to argue, but then holds back. “You’re right. We can take this conversation inside, can’t we, Alaric?”

She looks at me in question, like I would deny her anything.

“Of course,” I say.

She turns then and with Noel close behind her, starts to head inside.

Watching them, I wonder if I truly do have to worry about Cara’s second chance after all.