Page 72 of Crescent Warrior

Biting her lip, she stroked her finger down a picture of his serious face, knowing that she put that look there. He lived without his mate, without his other half, for so long that it changed him.

I did that.

Swallowing past the lump in her throat, she tossed back the rest of the port in her glass, looking up when she felt Dru’s presence at the door.

He was watching her, nodding. “Good. You have come to your senses.”

She gave a small laugh, shaking her head. “Maybe I’ve lost my mind.”

He shrugged, smiling at her. “Whichever it is, you are about to make the right choice. I see it in your eyes.”

Alex was scrolling through pictures that Vincenzo was showing them of his mate and home when he scented a new presence.

Quite a few new presences, if my nose isn’t wrong.

It seemed like a crowd was coming toward them and Vincenzo lifted his head, smiling widely. He stood, striding to the door, and Alex glanced at Michael warily.

The male’s entire body was stiff, clearly not used to this much interaction in such a short time. They both rose now, facing the entrance, preparing themselves for a confrontation. The day had been a whirlwind of emotions. Some happy, mostly terrible.

When a male entered the room, their eyes widened. He was huge, bigger than any male Alex had ever seen before, except for that asshole Damen.

Unlike Damen, his face was stern, his mouth tight with annoyance as he surveyed them both, pausing to pull Vincenzo into a quick perfunctory hug.

“Knox,” Vincenzo grinned happily, patting him across the back. “These are my sons. Where is my Elisa?” He searched the group of people who were still waiting outside before racing down the stairs and disappearing from view.

They focused on the huge male now, looking directly at them, his eyes narrowed.

“I don’t detect your scents,” he said quietly, his voice low and serious. “Why?”

Immediately suspicious of his intentions, Alex shook his head. “We’re not comfortable to share that with you right now. We’ve just met.”

Knox didn’t seem to like that response, glancing over his shoulder as Vincenzo returned with a beautiful woman whose eyes were trained on them, brimming with tears.

“My boys,” she whispered, rushing forward. Alex and Michael stood frozen as they were engulfed in a hug together, her arms so comforting and warm that Alex felt it in his bones. He tentatively lifted the arm that wasn’t currently pinned to Michael’s side, wrapping it around her, his throat clogged with immediate acceptance of this female. “I can’t believe it’s you.”

She pulled away to cup each of their faces, her smile filled with so much joy and love that Alex couldn’t believe it.

Is this what a mother is supposed to be like?

Longing bloomed in his heart again, and he wondered if he would be able to separate himself from the situation enough to look at it from an unbiased standpoint. He wanted the love she offered so freely. He wanted a real family. And if their story was true, then he didn’t need to have any qualms about accepting it into his life.

He glanced up in time to see Knox watching them, his expression impassive and cold, assessing their every move. Alex’s hackles rose, feeling threatened. This male wasn’t the same as Damen.

He expected the alphas to be similar in some way. Pretentious, acting benevolent, as though he had everyone’s best interest at heart. Instead, Knox seemed to not care about this reunion at all, merely a bystander.

“We don’t know who they really are yet, Elisa,” he said calmly, validating Alex’s views of him. “We can’t scent them.”

“That’s how I know it’s my boys,” she said calmly, leaning up to press kisses to their cheeks, making them both blush furiously at her open affection. “I prayed every night for them to be protected. Hidden. The Gods have blessed them with this gift.”

Knox looked as though he was holding back an eyeroll and failing.

“Where have you been all this time?” Knox demanded and Elisa turned to glare at him, not cowed by the command in his tone.

“I grew up in the foster system in Minnesota,” Michael responded, quietly. Alex was shocked that he had spoken first, but he was looking directly at the woman in front of him, adoration clear in his eyes. “I didn’t know anything about being a Werewolf until I changed as a teenager.”

Elisa’s eyes immediately returned to him, a tear overflowing and guilt ravaging her expression. She pulled Michael down, his towering height not bothering her in the least as she hugged him tight.

“I’m so sorry, cucciolo,” her whisper was muffled against his shoulder, but they both heard it clearly. “I would give my life to take that time back. To make sure you didn’t suffer.”

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