Chapter 126

Alaric’s POV

“There is no way you are coming with them,” I say. Standing, I turn from Mia, putting her behind me as I confront Noel. “You are not welcome in my home.”

“Cara is my mate –”

“She is not your mate. She is my mate, and the mother of my children.”

“Stop this, both of you,” Colin says. Moving forward, he puts himself between us. A dangerous place for him to be, but he is successful in calming me down enough to stop growling. Well, Colin and Mia, when she reaches up and takes my hand.

If I come off too aggressive, I might frighten her, and that’s the very last thing in the world I want to do. I just discovered that I have children. I don’t want to scare them away.

So, for now, I take a few deep breaths and force myself to remain calm.

“He wants to separate and isolate Cara away from her family,” Noel insists. “Away from me.”

Colin glances at me warningly. “I’m sure Alaric will allow for visits.”

I grit my teeth, but nod.

“See?” Colin says.

“You can’t actually be considering allowing this, Colin?” Ryan asks. “Cara is perfectly safe right here with her family.”

“We’ve done a good job protecting her so far,” Colin says, “But she is far from safe. It might be good for her and the kids to leave the pack lands for a while. While she is gone, we can work to uncover the dangers lurking in the dark that mean to harm her.”

The brothers all look at each other.

“You can trust me,” I say, hoping they can see my earnestness and determination. I’ve failed Cara and my family before, but never again. I will be diligent and keep them all safe. “I have everything in the world to prove.”

Cara’s POV

As much as I want Ethan to like his father, I can’t force him to. Trying to would only further isolate Ethan and make him feel even worse about everything. Therefore, when I ask Ethan if he would come back downstairs, and he says, “No,” emphatically, all I can do is respect his wishes.

Building a relationship between this father and son will take time and cannot be rushed. I just hope in time that both will be willing and open to it.

Heading back downstairs on my own, I overhear some of Alaric’s plans for us, as well as Noel’s arguments.

When I walk into the room where everyone is standing, a hush falls over the room and everyone goes very quiet, looking at me.

“I hate to spring this on you like this,” Alaric says. “But I really believe the best way for you and the kids to stay safe is to come with me across the border into DuskWood, where I can keep you all safe.”

I’m not fond of the idea at all. Since leaving DuskWood, I’ve worked hard to make my life the best it can be here in BloodyMoon.

“I have my duties as a Beta…” I say.

“I’m sure Eamon will understand,” Colin says. “And when you eventually return, your position will still be waiting for you.”

It hurts a little, that they all seem so eager to be rid of me.

“I’m not suggesting you go because I want to see you leave,” Colin says. “If it were up to me, the assassin would be dealt with and you could make whatever decision you want all on your own. But the fact is, we don’t have them captured. We don’t even know who they are. For you and for the children, maybe it is for the best if you go.”

I wish I could argue with that. I want to stay. But I would never play around with the children’s safety.

Colin and Alaric are right, there is danger here for me. That extends to the kids. And as I suspect Lilia might be the culprit… as a rogue she could still travel freely here, in a way she couldn’t in DuskWood. If she is responsible for this, she wouldn’t be able to follow me there.

“Very well,” I say, agreeing.

The next day, all of my brothers and Noel come over to tell the kids and I goodbye. There’s a car out front, waiting, the trunk filled with suitcases and Alaric’s Beta John behind the wheel.

As the other brothers are saying goodbye to the kids, Eamon pulls me aside.

“I know you have reservations about this,” he tells me. “I do too. Things won’t be the same without you, and already I can feel the weight of not having you in the office. But, for your own protection, I know you need to go, and while I will miss you terribly, I will be relieved by the knowledge that you will be safe there.”

I give him a small hug.

“We will not rest until we find and catch that assassin and can return you and your children to us,” Eamon says. “You have my word.”

“Thank you Emaon.”

Alaric’s POV

Cara and the kids have some reservations about this trip. I could tell that long before we entered the backseat of the car. Since we are not heading back to the capital, instead simply crossing the border, we can drive rather than take an airplane.

We’ve only just started the trip, and already Ethan is looking out the window rather than talk to me. Cara sits gently beside him, holding his hand.

Mia, at least, seems happy to see me. She’s been asking me twenty questions. Things like, Do I have a grandma? Do you like candy? Eamon’s an Alpha King too; are you two friends?

I answer each question to the best of my ability, happy to have her attention and her curiosity. With her, I feel a father-daughter bond already forming. Already, I would tear down the entire world just to keep her safe.

I want to share the same kind of bond with Ethan too. I’d love to get to know both of my children and have them trust me.

Regaining them feels like a miracle, and I don’t want to squander it. Ethan seems to want nothing to do with me though. I suppose I can understand. I came in out of nowhere and suddenly want to be a part of his life. It’s natural to have some resentment, especially because he never seemed to like me anyway.

Yet, he is still my son. Cara doesn’t want them to be my heirs, but Ethan would be next in line if they were to be. I wish I could teach them both the ways of the pack, so that they could start to learn what it means to lead.

At the very least, I want them to like me so that we can be friends, if not a father-son relationship.

Ethan has totally closed me off though. He refuses to look at me for the entire trip, not even when I answer Mia’s questions like I’m talking to them both.

Not even when I try to talk to him. “Ethan? Are you enjoying the trip?”

He keeps staring out the window, as if pretending I don’t exist.

I look at Cara, hoping for something. She looks back at me with sympathy in her eyes.

She mouths, Give him time.

I know I don’t have any other choice.