Page 58 of Impregnated By the Alpha

There was a weightless, eternal moment when Jonah could have reached out and caught him. When Evans’s eyes widened with realization, blood streaming from his nose, Jonah almost grabbed him. But his family and pack would never be safe as long as Evans lived. He watched his half-brother, his life twisted by hatred and vengeance, slip soundlessly over the edge and fall into the sea.

Time moved forward, but Jonah stayed. He stared at the spot where Evans had disappeared beneath the waves until Moira drew him back from the edge and crushed him against herself. He didn’t realize he was crying until he tasted salt on his lips.

“Is it over?” She asked, fingers twisted in his shirt as if she feared he, too, might vanish into the water. “Is it finally over?”

Jonah watched the light’s glow search the sea again and again. It found nothing but the waves. He thought of the two lives lost to the sad tale his father had spun, of his mother’s ghost and his half-brother’s grudge, and the reverberations that had struck the pack.

His father had made his choice. And Jonah had made his. And they couldn’t have been more different.

Chapter 20 - Moira

“Was it really a good idea to let Vera host this thing?” Jonah asked, pushing the stroller down the sidewalk.

Cora slept in the shade of its awning, her nose scrunched up in her sleep. She was perfect. Her delicate fingers clenched and unclenched, searching for the small, stuffed wolf tucked into the stroller. A gift from her Aunt Vera. Moira nudged it within reach, and Cora grabbed onto it, holding it close.

“She said she wanted to do it,” Moira said, bumping Jonah with her hip. “And she’s got plenty of help. What could go wrong?”

She said it with more confidence than she felt. Vera was anything but a domestic goddess, but she’d volunteered to host the baby shower and refused to answer any of Moira’s questions about how the planning was going. So Moira had let it go. Mostly.

“Cue the firetrucks screaming down the street,” Jonah teased.

But the house was intact, swarming with people like a kicked ant’s nest. It was a hot July day, the sun beating down on her shoulders, and Moira was eager for a cold drink and some shade. Vera burst out of the house as they approached like she’d been watching the door.

From the corner of her eye, Moira saw Jonah flinch and reflexively twist the stroller away. He hadn’t fully recovered from his fight against Evans and still woke in the night, sweat-drenched and haunted.

“There you are! Come on, everyone else is already here.” Vera dragged them into the backyard, where large white tents provided shade for the gathered crowd. “Don’t let those burn!”

The last was shouted to Rami, who stood manning the grill. He fumbled the spatula at her shout but caught it before it hit the grass and flashed her a smile that she, shocking everyone around them, returned.

“This looks great, Vera, seriously,” Jonah said, sounding impressed.

Moira had to agree. Despite her doubts, Vera had managed to pull it off. Rosewoods, Silversands, and even a few White Winters were gathered, drinks in hand, to celebrate.

“I can do surgery, Jonah. Do you really think party planning is beyond me?” Vera rolled her eyes, but the disheveled hair and outfit gave her away. Moira’s normally pristine sister was rumpled.

“Thank you,” Moira said, hugging her. Vera stiffened, then returned it awkwardly.

“I have to make sure Rami isn’t burning anything,” Vera said, flitting away at the first sign of affection. “And you two should make the rounds.”

Moira lifted Cora gently from the stroller and held her against her chest, breathing in the sweet smell of her baby breath.

“Do we have to?” Jonah exhaled and kissed Moira’s cheek. “What if we just sneak back to the lighthouse and—“

Moira wagged her finger at him. “Jonah. We’re the leaders of the Silversands now. We have to make appearances and show everyone how happy and, healthy, and strong we are. It’s one step toward rebuilding. And if you behave, maybe I’ll make it worth your while later.”

“You could talk me into anything. Come on, then.”

Together, they made their way around the party, accepting congratulations and well wishes from everyone they passed until Moira’s head began to spin. She was jealous of Cora who got to sleep through the entire thing.

“I’m thinking a surf school is just the thing the town needs,” a man was saying to Jonah, drawing Moira’s attention away from Cora’s sleeping face. He had the shaggy hair of someone who had spent a day at the beach. “We’ve got some great waves here, and it’s a big draw. It gives people something to do and talk about.”

Moira nodded eagerly, stepping in when she sensed Jonah’s hesitation. Despite their determination to bring new businesses to the town, Jonah couldn’t fully hide his reluctance to welcome strangers. Evans had made deep scars in him. It hadn’t scraped away his trusting, open nature, but it had tempered it with wariness.

One day, she hoped she’d see those scars washed away by time. Until then, she’d help him learn to trust again.

“That sounds perfect, actually. And I think we’ve got the ideal spot for it, don’t we, Jonah?” Moira pulled Jonah back into the conversation.

“That shack?” He turned thoughtful. “That could work. How about this, come by on Monday, and I’ll take you over there. It needs fixing up, but what part of town doesn’t?”

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