Chapter 81 - Rejecting My Contracted Luna

　　Emma's POV

　　As soon as Duncan is out of earshot I turn to Anna. "Where did he go?"

　　Anna shakes her head as she walks away from me back into the kitchen.

　　"Anna," I call after her. "Where did he go?"

　　"Even if I knew I wouldn't tell you," she sighs at me. "He doesn't want us to know for a reason."

　　Anna and I hear Ezra squealing loudly and we burst through the kitchen door as quickly as we can. As we run through the door Ezra's squeals turn into laughter. Alpha Thomas is holding Ezra upside down tickling his belly so hard that his face is practically turning purple. I rush to Thomas's side and grab Ezra from his arms and hold him upright so he can catch his breath. I glare at Alpha Thomas who has an amused smirk across his face.

　　"Now you've done it," Daniel says humorously. "You've poked the mother bear."

　　I cut my eyes across the room to Daniel who shoves a bunch of bacon in his mouth as I glare at him. Alpha Thomas's laugh booms through the kitchen as watches me cradle my son protectively in my arms.

　　"Mommy!" Ezra squeals loudly. "Did you know I have an Uncle Tommy?"

　　I shoot a glare at Thomas and he just shrugs his shoulders.

　　"I like Uncle Tommy," Ezra squeals. "He holds me upside down. It's fun."

　　Setting Ezra on his feet I ruffle his hair and send him out of the kitchen door to find Christina before I turn my wrath back on Thomas.

　　"Why would you tell him that you are his uncle?" I groan as I sit down at the table and rest my head in my hands.

　　"I thought I was in trouble for holding him upside down," Thomas chuckles and I shoot him another deathly glare.

　　"We aren't done here yet," I growl at him.

　　As soon as the growl leaves my chest, Anna and Daniel scurry from the kitchen like children evading their angry mother.

　　"I had no idea you were so... so... commanding," Thomas says as he wiggles his eyebrows at me. "It is kind of a turn on."

　　"Shut up," I growl at him again. "Why did you tell him that you were his uncle?" I ask again.

　　"Because telling him that I am his new Daddy seemed a bit premature," Thomas laughs again.

　　"Thomas," I groan. "I don't know what you think happened between us last night but I think you got the wrong idea."

　　Grabbing a hold of the back of my chair Thomas spins me around and kneels down in front of me. He cups my face in his large, rough hand and runs his thumb over my bottom lip. My breath hitches in my lungs at the action and my tongue darts out to moisten my lower lip.

　　"I don't think that I got the wrong idea at all," Thomas says as he leans in closer to press his lips against my own.

　　For a moment I close my eyes, wanting to feel his lips on mine just once more. But then I snap to my senses. My son could run in here at any moment. My eyes fly open and I raise my hand to stop Thomas's lips from coming any closer to my own. Thomas's lips hit my hand but he is not deterred. Grabbing my wrist, he kisses each one of my fingertips before twirling his tongue around my middle finger. Heat begins to pool in my core at the feeling of his soft tongue on my fingers.

　　I rip my fingers away from Thomas and slap him across the face with the same hand. "Would you stop trying to seduce me for one second?"

　　Thomas holds his cheek while he pretends to be gravely injured by my actions, but then a smile spreads across his face. "So you admit that I was seducing you?"

　　"I swear to the Goddess," I growl at him. I grab him by the collar with both of my hands and pull his face close to my own. His eyes are wide with anticipation. "If you pull any of this shit in front of my son I will castrate you myself," I whisper quietly when our faces are mere inches apart.

　　"You really are a Momma Bear," Thomas laughs loudly in my face, completely unphased by anything that I said to him.

　　I push him away with both of my hands and cross them over my chest. "Why are you still here?"

　　"I wanted to get to know you," Thomas says and I can tell by the look in his eyes that he is being sincere.

　　"But why me?" I say suspiciously.

　　"I am intrigued by you," he says as he gets back to his feet.

　　Now it is my turn to laugh out loud at his response. "I am not intriguing. I am a twenty-one year old mother."

　　Thomas takes one of my curls and twists it between his fingers. "You are much more than that."

　　My face heats with embarrassment at his words. "I am a mother and a Paxton. That is all there is to know about me," I say once I compose myself.

　　"We will see about that," Thomas says as he drops my curl in front of my face. "Who is the boy's father?"

　　"I don't see how that is any of your business," I spit as I get to my feet and begin to clear the table in front of me.

　　"You know," Thomas says, "He greatly resembles Alpha Ethan from the Crescent pack."

　　I pause as I clear the dishes and turn my eyes to meet his hazel ones. "What does it matter to you?"

　　"I am just curious. That's all," Thomas has a Cheshire grin across his face.

　　"Why?" I say as I place my hands on my hips. "Why does it matter?"

　　"It doesn't really matter," Thomas admits. He walks up behind me and wraps his arms around my waist as I clean off the plates in the sink. "I just want to know who was stupid enough to break a bond with you in the first place."