Chapter 56

Alaric’s POV

Aylon Auburn?

The Pack BloodyMoon Beta?

Why would Cara be carrying in her purse a document addressed to Aylon Auburn?

It doesn’t make any sense… Unless…

After the news report that announced Aylon Auburn as the new Beta of Pack BloodyMoon, I had asked my Beta John to find out as much as he could about the man. Family history, work history, anything that might help me understand more about this mysterious Beta.

Unfortunately, John wasn’t able to learn much information. Standing here in front of Cara, looking down at Aylon’s name, I remember my conversation with John from a few days ago.

“It’s the strangest thing…” John had said to me. “There’s not a single photo of Aylon Auburn. No one outside of BloodyMoon knows what he looks like.”

“How can that be?” John’s words had me feeling so confused. They had announced his appointment to Beta on the evening news on television for the Goddess’s sake, how could no one have a photograph of this Aylon?

Why was there so much secrecy around this Beta?

“I don’t know. But my sources tell me that this Beta is very popular within their pack. He’s performing extremely well from what I hear. The Pack BloodyMoon nobles and commoners alike are pleased with his efforts,” John said to me carefully.

A good Beta is worth his weight in gold. And I know well that pleasing both the high borns and low borns is a difficult, even sometimes impossible, task. Though I really don’t want to, I’ve got to give this Aylon Auburn at least some amount of respect for that.

“What else did you find out about him?” I had asked my Beta.

“He has two children. Unfortunately, that’s all I know. I can keep looking for more details, but I’m not optimistic about this one, sir. It seems like the entire pack has this Beta hidden very, very well,” John said.

The lack of information about the new Beta had troubled me greatly. It had been bothering me, chipping away a small hole of frustration within me, ever since John and I had had that discussion a few days ago.

Now, standing in the hospital with Cara, it’s all coming back to me. Aylon has two children…

Cara has a document addressed to Aylon in her purse…

Cara has two children… and a husband that is so busy he can’t be bothered to attend to his own daughter in the hospital… Could it be…

Aylon Auburn is Cara’s husband!

Of course, that’s it!

He must’ve taken her family name when they got married to add a sense of authority and authenticity to his claim for Beta status. And once Eamon’s Beta retired, the job was open for the taking.

A calculated man, this Aylon Auburn. Smart, and cunning too, I’d wager.

He’s using Cara for his royal status, no doubt. There are always those people who try to take advantage of it.

“You are very invested in Cara’s personal life,” my wolf Grey says to me internally. He says it matter-of-factly, but I can feel the weight of his judgment.

“I am. So what? She was a very strong co-worker, and she’s a good person. Of course, I want to see her happy and taken care of. What could be wrong with that?” I fire back inside my mind.

“Are you certain that’s all it is?” Grey asks me.

“Yes, I’m certain! You’re always making something out of nothing. I don’t want to see Cara get hurt. She’s hurt enough already… and some of that was my doing. This is my way of repaying her for our past,” I say.

I hear Grey’s laughter inside my mind, trailing off to leave me in silence, staring at Cara in front of me.

Cara’s POV

“…My, my husband, Aylon Arbun?!"

"Isn't he?" Alaric asked, staring at me.

I widen my eyes, looking at Alaric in shock and confusion.

I recall what my brothers said to me last time.

“… That’s how it went. The guy asked why your husband wasn’t taking care of Mia when she was sick, and that’s when Colin responded,” Eamon said.

All the brothers looked at Colin. He just quietly gave a small smile.

Aidan said, “Hey, I never would’ve guessed it, but Colin’s the boldest one among us!”

Ryan added, “That really saved a lot of trouble. From now on, Alaric will definitely never bother you again.”

I asked, “So, what exactly did Colin say?”

Colin replied, “I just told him… you really do have a husband.” He gazed at me gently.

“A husband who’s busy in the Pack. That's enough. He doesn’t need to know much about him.”

My wrist is still held tightly by Alaric. Our gazes lock, and I could see the restlessness in his eyes.

So now, Alaric… does he think “Aylon Arbun” is my husband…?

What a coincidence of a misunderstanding!

But I understand the intention of my brothers. Alaric... He's a good man, a good king, but he's not a good mate.

No matter how I feel about him, for the sake of my children, I can't be with him anymore. I can't allow myself to think about him!

I snatch the remaining document quickly from Alaric’s hands.

“I’ve got to get going, I need to—” I turn to walk away from him, not sure how to finish that sentence.

But Alaric’s hand on my hand stops me in my tracks.

His firm, warm fingers seem to melt into my own. The heat of the skin-to-skin contact feels shocking and exciting, like there’s an electric current racing between us.

I haven’t felt that in years… six years…

I tense my muscles, surprised and nervous by my body’s reaction to touching Alaric. He’s going to uncover my secrets. He’s going to find out the truth.

I’m about to be exposed.

All of my hard work, all of Eamon’s hard work at getting the pack to agree to seal my identity… Eamon and my brothers tirelessly worked within Pack BloodyMoon to ensure that my true identity remained hidden.

But all of that work was about to be for nothing.

“Why are you always so busy, Cara? You’re a princess now. You shouldn’t need to work anymore…” Alaric’s voice is soft, almost tender.

The sound is so uncharacteristically soft in fact that I feel like I’m glued to my position on the floor. My feet won’t move, won’t carry me away from him.

Alaric’s clear blue eyes are pinned to my face, studying me… caressing me. It’s an overwhelming sensation, being observed by him like this. He’s so close to me that it’s almost… intimate.

My lips can’t speak, I don’t trust myself to say anything in this moment. I’m usually so composed, so quick with a response to brush off anything unexpected that comes my way.

But this, this close contact with Alaric, after so many years… after so many secrets…

“Unless… unless he’s got you working for him now. That’s it, isn’t it? Your husband’s got you doing all of his Beta work instead of handling it himself,” Alaric says to me, voice so quiet that he leans into me closer.

His face is mere inches from mine now. His hand is still on my wrist. The heat is collecting in that spot, radiating up my arm.

Wait a minute…

‘His’ Beta work?

What is Alaric thinking?!