\[Rosco’s POV\]
I keep my gaze fixed on Denali as she processes what I’ve just told her, and when a sense of wonder crosses her features, it feels like a weight is lifted from my shoulders. Great; she didn’t think that I was crazy or a stalker.
“All these years,” she murmurs, lifting her large blue gaze to mine. “But when we first met you..."
“Acted horribly due to hurt, and I still don’t deserve your forgiveness,” I finish for her.
“No,” she counters, giving a beautiful smile. “You’ve done more than enough to make it up to me. Through everything, you stayed beside me, and when I was in danger, you did everything to save me. Rosco, I forgave you long ago, and it’s time you forgave yourself.”
Nodding, I climb up on the bed beside her and pull her against me. As she snuggles against me, I kiss the top of her head and let myself get lost in the feel of her solidity beside me.
The moment is ruined too soon when the doctor returns to do an examination on the baby. To our relief, everything is perfect, from the size to the heartbeat. At least it was one less thing to worry about in the piling mess that was showing in front of us.
When the doctor leaves, I cuddle with Denali once more and wait until she falls asleep. Only after I’m sure that she won't wake up do I sneak out to find Marty in the hall.
“Stay here with her,” I order. “And I don’t want any repeats of last time.”
“My either,” Marty chuckles, rubbing his chest. “Getting shot hurts like hell.”
Rolling my eyes, I clap his shoulder before beginning to move, making my way out of the hospital and then down the street toward the police station where Elise is being held until we return to America to properly try her.
“You’ve come to visit?” She asks as I make my way between the cells, which are full of women who beg to be released and scream that they’re innocent. “I thought you would.”
“If you know what I’m here for, then how about we get it over with?” I say when I reach her cell.
“What if I don’t want to?” She smiles, though her smile doesn’t reach her eyes. “Who am I kidding?” She continues in defeat. “Why the hell would you even think that I would have any ideas about you anyway?”
“Because you’ve given me no reason to trust you,” I point out. “But I am curious about something. Why didn’t you tell Denali? You knew that it would shatter her to know that her mate was also mated to someone else.”
“Why?” Elise repeats, seeming to consider. “Who knows.”
Shrugging, she relaxes in her cot even more while I continue to watch her, trying to figure out exactly what is going on in her head. She suffered such a blow, and yet here she was acting nonchalant.
“Don’t you care that you’re possibly facing death?”
“Would crying and screaming change anything?” She asks me, closing her eyes. “Since you’ve come all this way, then please reject me so that we can go forward with our lives.”
Frowning, I actually feel a bit of sympathy flare over her trying to act so strong when it was clear that she was scared and hurting. The way she held herself reminded me so much of Denali in the beginning that it made those images begin to appear.
“Go on,” she pushes when I stay silent. “Reject me and go back to your happy life with my dear sister. Or would you prefer that I do the rejecting?”
“Like hell,” I chuckle, understanding in that moment what should be done. "I, Roscoe Torress, future alpha of Crystal Fang, reject you, Elise Ozera.”
“Gregory,” she growls, snapping her eyes open and shooting them toward me. “Don’t associate me with that disgusting bloodline.”
“Right,” I sigh, understanding where the anger was coming from. “Elise Gregory,” I continue. “As my mate and future luna.”
As the words leave me, I feel a stinging pain in my chest that radiates throughout my entire body until I feel the familiar snapping I felt when I was released from my father’s pack. In front of me, it is clear that Elise is feeling it too, as she curls in on herself while silently enduring.
“You can leave now,” she whispers as I continue to examine her. “You’ve done what you came to do.”
“Not quite,” I counter.”
“What else is there?” She demands. “Are you going to stand there and bask in my pain and misery?”
“Nope,” I say, shaking my head. “Know that I’m not offering this for you. I’m doing it because Denali insists, and if it is something that will make her happy, I am more than willing to do it for her.”
“What are you talking about?” She hisses, narrowing her gaze on me. “I’m not following.”
“You will return to America under my care, and you will be placed in the cells of Emerald Moon, where you will be rehabilitated. You will undergo training in my special forces, and you will go to therapy to work on your issues. If you so much as step out of line, I will kill you.”
Growing quiet, I wait as Elise processes what I’m saying, and when suspicion colors her features, I know that she isn’t taking me seriously.
“Do you truly think that your local authorities will allow that?” She giggles. "In case you’ve forgotten, I’m wanted for murder and slave trafficking.”
“I’ll handle that,” I sigh. “I’ve made it clear that you won’t be free. You’ll simply be held elsewhere until your trials are done and they decide what to do with you. But Denali is insistent that I save you, and I know it would break her to see you killed before you get the chance to redeem yourself. Unlike you, she has a heart of gold and chooses to see the good in everyone, including a bastard like me.”
“Ugh,” Elise gags. “You really are head over heels over my innocent sister.”
“I am,” I chuckle. “That’s why this rejection had to happen, because I won’t do anything ever again to hurt her.
Finished speaking, I turn and head back to the hospital, where I find Denali awake and waiting for me. When her eyes come to rest on me, I know that she has an idea of where I’ve been, but when I climb back into bed beside her, she doesn’t say a word. Instead, she just snuggles against me and falls back to sleep.
For the next week, Denali remains in the hospital, where she undergoes physical therapy. To my dissatisfaction, she only manages to walk with the assistance of another, but some progress was better than none.
When she is released, we head back to America, where a mess is waiting for us. Not only would we have to deal with the aftermath of our running when Denali was accused of murdering Anastasia’s child, but also of me abandoning my family and my pack.
However, to my surprise, instead of being met with hatred by my parents, I’m met with open arms and tears from my mother. As she hugs me closely, my father remains behind, watching me stoically, but I guess that was better than him kicking my ass.
Shortly after our arrival, Elise also arrives and is taken into custody until Denali can settle the uproar that is going on in Emerald Moon over her father and stepmother’s involvement in slave trafficking and faking a will. Although I didn’t quite get the revenge I wanted by showing Roger’s involvement in the death of my friend, he still ended up behind bars, where he belonged.
When we arrive, we are greeted by Anastasia, who is up in arms over the whole situation since she was found innocent in the whole thing.
“Why?” She demands, rushing toward Denali as I push her forward in her wheelchair. “Why are you doing this to us? Why can’t you just..."
“That’s enough,” Denali warns while I let out a growl of warning. “You’ve been let off and given a chance to repent. I suggest that you take it with open arms.”
“How?” Anastastia sobs. “I don’t have anywhere to go or anyone to depend on! Alexander he…”
Remaining silent, I look down at Denali, who is peeking up at me, and I understand that right now isn’t the time to tell what Alexander was actually up to.
“You can stay in Emerald Moon,” Denali says gently. “But if you do, you’ll have to start from the ground up as an omega, do you understand?”
For a moment, Anastasia doesn’t speak as she considers Denali’s words, and when she snarls and bares her teeth, I know that she isn’t going to go along with what Denali has said.
“I’d rather die!” She growls before storming off.
“Should I stop her?” I ask Denali as Anastasia grows farther and farther away.”
“Leave her be,” Denali sighs. “We will handle one problem at a time, starting with taking our rightful places as alpha and luna of Emerald Moon.”
“If that is what mi reina wants,” I say, leaning down and kissing the top of her hair. “Then I will make it happen, but first I want to do something about that abomination on your neck."
Since rescuing Denali Alexander's mark, it has been bothering me, and although I wanted to immediately mark her so it would go away, she wanted to wait until we were alone together so it would be special.
"Everything is planned for this evening," I murmur close to her ear. "You better rest well because I'm not letting you sleep tonight."