Chapter 205

Chapter 205
Travis

That one stung. I really had tried everything to properly protect Lucas, but it was still my fault and my responsibility to handle the fallout. Kinsley struggled again, asking to be put down. I take a step forward but I could feel the storm still building behind Rue’s cold exterior. She was spiraling down into fight mode. Realization hit me like a ton of bricks; this wasn’t just about the boy. It was about trust, about choices, about everything we were trying to build and the very ugly entities that still clung to us from the past. 

I ran my hand through my hair, releasing a breath full of the heaviness in my chest, "Love, It’s not as simple as some choices are.” 

Her eyes snapped back to me, sharp as glass, “It should be. You know there are always more than one side. More than one choice.” 

“Rue, it could’ve been a hell of a lot worse…” James muttered, exhaling hard through his teeth. I could see how drained and frustrated he was when he dropped his face into his palms. The way he slumped, as if the weight of the world finally caught up to him, filled me with pity. 

“It doesn’t matter!” Rue snapped and set Kinsley down beside her. She let our daughter unsteadily totter down the hallway, her tiny hands reaching for the walls. Kindly lacked the skills to wander far but my protectiveness pushed me to keep my eyes on her. I continued to split my attention between her and Rue. Rue’s eyes swung to me, unrelenting with an underlying hurt, “You should’ve brought him here in the first place. Or picked up a damn phone. Called me. Called Sam. Or any of the other people that could have helped.” 

“I didn’t have time.” I respond.

“You had time to call James!” Rue countered. Her words were sharp enough to slice clean through. I remained silent. I couldn’t admit to her that I’d called James to keep their hands clean in case things went south and Marcus ended up dead. If it was only James and I, we could play it off as a hostile takeover. Anyone else and it would be grounds for war.

“You’re right.” I finally responded, “But I took the best course of action based on the window I had. It wasn’t perfect but it was the best move I could make. I would never do something that would put you at risk.” 

Her eyes studied my face, looking for answers I hoped she’d find. Her eyes softened after a time. Rue sighed, clearly biting down whatever argument she still had loaded, “Did you at least find out anything useful?”

“Yes.” I nodded relieved she finally understood my choices, “The Rogue Alpha has far more reach than i realized and I’m more confident then ever that Jessica has a link to him.” 

“She targeted me on purpose. Not for revenge or out of spite,” James folded his arms across his chest like a shield. Then he popped his annoyingly smug grin, “She needed me out of the way.” 

“Because you’re what—some kind of valuable chess piece? A white knight in shining armor?” Rue scoffed. 

“I’m a powerful ally.” 

“Are you?” Rue challenged, folding her arms to match his. James met her eyes with that kicked-dog look he never quite managed to hide around her. I hated seeing it, even if Rue never saw it. It wasn’t a secret that James still held a flame for my wife but their friendship, their history, was too important to all of us to dig up that particular grave. Especially when Rue never wavered in her love and loyalty to me. Our trust was hard earned and not easily broken. We all knew where we stood with one another. 

“He is, Rue.” I let the words settle, clearing the tension with a firm edge in my words, “But without more proof we cant do anything.”

We silently let that soak in before I shifted my body weight, “For now, Rue will keep watch over Lucas and I’ll speak with Grandmother about the new information. Sam will continue following the new leads and James, go get some sleep at the house.” 

James didn’t get more than a half nod in before Rue’s bladed voice cuts, “You are not welcome in my home.” 

She didn’t wait for a response, just stopped up a fussy Kinsley into her arms and walked away. I listened to the soft padding of her footsteps and watched in awe as the squealing toddler laid her head against Rue’s shoulder and slowly closed her eyes. My wife was brimming with that motherly magic that I couldn’t resist. I was about to follow when James gave a low whistle and rubbed a hand over the blonde stubble on his jaw, “All that attitude over me just stating facts.” 

I looked at him, cold and steady, like he is a stranger. It felt like I didn’t know this version of him. The version that mirrored his father perfectly. I would do anything to shatter that image, “No. Rue is my Luna and the mother of my children. My decisions don’t override hers.” 

James gave me a weird look. His brows furrowed as if I’d hit him with something unexpected. Then he slowly shakes his head, “She always challenges your decisions.” 

“Yes.” 

“Like with Reece.” His brows join together further, “You really want Reece to sticking around here and being coddled by Rue? He needs time to toughen up, just like we had to.”

“Rue doesn’t baby anyone, I stared at him pointedly,” and what we decide about our son isn’t up for discussion—especially not with you.” 

“You earned your spot at the top and you’ll want to do that for your son too, right?” James pressed. 

“My son will earn his spot in his own right.” I don’t budge. My cousin needs to understand his place, ”You are overstepping.” 

James stared at me bewildered. His mouth hangs open as he processes what I’ve said. Then it snapped shut, “You’re right. Where Reece ends up is you’re call. I was reminding Rue of that." 

“No, James.” My voice dropped into a growl with more alpha authority than necessary, “It’s our call. Rue and I. We are a team. A partnership. I may be Alpha of my pack but she is Alpha as well. We rule and decide things together. We raise our family together. Being in total command over my family is how your father rules. I choose a different path. I’ll build a better legacy than our father’s.” 

He stands there with clenched teeth.The silence stretching long and taut between us. 

“As Rue said,” I take a breath, letting the last piece fall like a final stone in the path toward a better future, “ there is always a choice and we choose differently.” 

I stepped foward, setting my palm on his shoulder to drive my point in. James doesn’t meet my gaze. He gave a tight nod, expression unreadable, before he turned and walked off. The hallway fell into a silence in the wake of everything unsaid.