Chapter 24: The Lone Alpha

Chapter Twenty-Two. Mars.

Oh, my poor boy. He just wants some reassurance that his daddy is going to stay. Hell, I would like to sleep with Davina, the thought of that happening is almost all-consuming, but it is going to take time, and we are on the right track. I know there is still a lot to discuss. I need to know why she is so negative about herself. Why is she consumed with concern that people think she is not doing a fantastic job at bringing Max up? She also needs to make an informed choice about accepting me as her mate, and what that means. It is not something that can be rushed or pushed. I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that my boy’s wolf had a hand in this. But I don’t blame Thrax, he just wants... No, it is more than just wants, he needs a pack, and his Alpha and Luna together, to give him a sense of safety and belonging. This whole situation is messed up, and it is heartbreaking all around.

“Max sweetheart, I know things are confusing, but sometimes things take time,” Davina began to explain to him.

“Are you mad?” Max asks, his head bowed, clearly feeling guilty. My poor pup, I hate to see him feel so upset.

“No, we are not mad. Daddy and I understand. However, rather than pretend and do something like that, I want you to talk to me, or you can talk to Daddy, about how you are feeling. We will try to explain things to you as much as we can.” She gently tells our pup.

“Max, both Mammy and I, love you very much. But Daddy did something naughty to Mammy, and so things are going to take time, for her to trust me again. But that doesn’t mean that I will leave you, or that we cannot be a family. Because I promise you, we are going to do everything we can to make sure that we are both here for you.” I tell my boy, being as honest as possible with him.

“Yes, Daddy did do something that made Mammy very sad. But it was not really his fault. Mammy and Daddy just need to get to know each other again. Daddy is correct, we are both here for you, and we are a family now, no matter if I sleep in the same bed as him. Or if we sleep in separate beds. Nothing is going to change that.”

Hearing my mate defend me makes my heart leap in my chest. The whole day has been amazing. We have chatted and played with our pup. The bond between us is increasing tenfold. I can feel the walls that surround her heart starting to come down, little by little. My own are being bulldozed, with just one soft smile from her delicious lips, or that cute as a button, blush on her face, and when my pup calls me Daddy, it is like a shock to my heart, bringing it back to life after years of barely functioning. The thick fog of my past is lifting, the weight of the guilt I feel is getting lighter, and the burden is easier to carry. It is all down to them. My mate. My pup.

“Now, how about we go and find a place to eat, go out together like a family, before bedtime?” I ask my pup. Because this is what both Max and Thrax need. For us to do things they perceive a normal family doing.

Davina looks at me, then down at her jeans and a white T-shirt that now has dirty marks on it from our day out. I grin at her.

“You look beautiful in a black bin bag,” I told her and smiled. I know it sounds corny, but I mean it just the same.

“Daddy is correct mammy, you always look beautiful,” my pup nods his head in agreement.

“You are both just trying to get around me,” Davina states, but the small upturn on her lips lets me know that she is starting to trust my words. Although she has a long way to go in accepting a compliment as being genuine, and not waiting for the punch line at the end.

It both annoys and intrigues me why she is this way. I want to rip the head off anybody who made her feel less than perfect. Yes, I know I had a huge part to play in that, but I am also going to be the person who helps her see the truth.

“I have a cardigan in my bag, I will wear that over the top,” she states, and I nod my head at her grinning that she didn’t have a confidence crisis because of a little sand and Jam on a T-shirt.

“Go wash your face and hands please Max,” she tells our son, and I grin at her.

“I will go help him. I need to wash my own as well,”

God, I love this new life I have now. But I am acutely aware that Monday is approaching, too quickly, and my mate and pup will return to their home, and then we have a whole different dynamic to our relationship, and other obstacles to hurdle. As we set off to find a place open to eat, I clasped Davina’s hand in mine. She didn’t pull away, she hadn’t all day, and to say I was ecstatic about that, would be an understatement. Touching her skin on skin is more than just the sparks, it is the closeness that accompanies the almost insignificant action on a deeper, psychological level. The bond strengthens, but also, so does our understanding of each other. It sounds crazy, but it is the only way I can describe it.

We find a place to sit down and eat. It is not the poshest restaurant out there, but it is family-friendly. My mate deserves the best of the best, and I will do that for her. I have a couple of million pounds from my personal wealth which I have, but also nearly a billion euros of pack funds from the Harvest Moon Corporation, which is the account for the pack. However, I never draw down on either of those accounts, because I do not know who is watching them. The Blood Moon pack have their fingers in a lot of pies, in my home country, and so I fly under the radar, even when living in England. Plus, living a life without any trappings is freeing for me. But I know my girl has struggled, and I do not want that life for her anymore. I want to give both her and Max the best of everything. Again, that is going to take some planning. When I took the cash out for my car, I travelled for over 12 hours on a train to the far reaches of Cornwall and retrieved the funds from the bank there, which is connected to my bank in Ireland, before heading back north to the site, ensuring that only the single transaction was taken. £75,000 for the car, and £25,000 cash which I keep hidden, for emergencies. The rest of the time, I live off my wages, paid into a separate account that Blood Moon has no clue exists, here in the UK.

We order the surf and turf, and Max gets a burger with chips, and follows up with a big bowl of ice cream, before heading back to the Bed and Breakfast. Max begins to yawn, so I pick him up into my arms, his little body turning heavy as he lays his head on my shoulder. It is getting past his bedtime. I wonder if Davina would be happy to shower him in the morning, rather than wake him up.

As we enter the room, Davina turns and strokes Max’s hair.

“He is out for the count. I will take his clothes off and leave him in his underwear so he is comfortable,” she explains to me.

I nod my head and hold him close as she undresses him. Once we have him ready, I go to put him in the single bed and she looks at me, blushing bright red as she shakes her hand.

“Put him in the small bed. You need more space,” she shyly whispers.

“No funny business though,” she tells me.

I try not to grin like the Cheshire cat, but I think I am failing in that task dramatically.

“I mean it! Now wipe that smirk off your face, or I will change my mind,” she tells me and I chuckle, laying our pup into the smaller bed, and tucking him in. Max is fast asleep, as I turn and look at her, placing a stray strand that has escaped her ponytail behind her ear.

“I will be good. I promise,” I whispered to her.

“Yes, you will. I trust you, don’t make me regret it Mr.” Davina flashed me the biggest grin that gave me goosebumps all over my body.

“Plus, I think that it is time that I opened up to you about my life before and after Max,” she whispers back to me.

“But first I need to shower and wash this T-shirt with some soap. There are robes in the bathroom, we can wear those to bed,” she tells me, in her mammy voice and I nod my head at her, not daring to utter that her strict tone does little to put me off her. It is actually quite the opposite.

“Yes Ma’am,” I saluted her, with more than just my hand. God, how am I going to manage not to touch her? But I must find a way because this is a huge amount of trust she is giving me. I do not want to let her down.

“Ares, you better keep yourself under control. She is giving us an inch, let’s not take a mile, plus I want her to talk, we need to listen to what she has to say, so please, do not get all Wolfie on me,” I warn my wolf, but I am not sure how much notice he is taking of me, because he is too busy running circles inside my head, wagging his tail like crazy. I just hope we don’t mess this up!