Page 19 of Broken Wolf

“At this point, I think I’d just shrug. A dad coming back to sell your half brother who’s now my son. You were abducted by Nina’s husband who was supposed to be dead. You have magic that you’re suppressing because of it, and wolves aren’t supposed to have magic. Now this with your mom and more half-siblings?”

I swallowed loudly when his eyes were a bit panicked. “Are you saying you want to get off the crazy train?”

His gaze immediately snapped to mine and tears filled his pretty eyes. “No. No! Not ever. That’s not remotely where my head is. Please, don’t even think that ever again, okay? Never.”

I let out a slow breath and nodded. “So you’re drowning in my shit?” I winced at what was in his eyes that wasn’t happy. “You have to be patient with me too, Reagan. I’m not trying to be mean. I’m trying to understand.”

“That’s fair,” he accepted. “It sounded flippant.”

I frowned. “No, I’m sorry. I do that so I can hear it or more—I’m trying to clarify that’s what you’re saying. I keep my sarcasm thick, Reagan. I make it clear when I’m being a shit.”

“You’re right.” He let out another breath. “Yes, it’s all your stuff, but you know it affects more than you.”

I looked away from him, feeling like history was repeating itself. Images and moments with Tristan flashed through my head and I felt like I was breaking.

In a flash, I was out of my chair and in his arms. He sat down on the chaise lounge so we had more room and cradled me to him.

“Don’t,” he begged. “Please don’t think of him or compare us. This is—I’m not Tristan, Sera. I would never—please.”

I nodded, snuggling against him. It wasn’t his fault, and I didn’t mean to bring my past into this. “Sorry.”

“You have nothing to be sorry for,” he rasped as he kissed my hair. Then he rubbed his cheek against mine. “I thought you would regret letting Carter chew out Eddie and how things were turning out. Sometimes you can’t fix what is broken—you know that. And I didn’t want Carter or Eddie’s dickhead uncle ruining the relationship between you two.

“And Brian instantly agreed. I thought I couldn’t be wrong then. Normally, I wait, and—I’m not blaming Brian. But normally I do wait, and I’m not quick to jump on you.” He let out a shaky breath when I nodded, having thought the same in the moment. “I was mostly pissed Carter was speaking for you and also how could I help fix this with your brother.”

Tears burned my eyes and he felt them, whispering he was sorry and loved me. That he was wrong and didn’t mean to be so judgmental. That he couldn’t get his footing with so much crazy and didn’t know how to help.

“You can’t wait so long to tell me this side even if we have to put the rest on the backburner,” I told him as I fisted his shirt. “It hurts so much when you aren’t on my side. I was—I’m breaking, Reagan, and you fucking sided with them.”

“I’m sorry, jelly bean. That wasn’t how I felt at all, and I just—I can’t move as fast as you guys. I’m too overwhelmed as well being Alpha for you.”

That was what this was really about. I felt it. I felt how exhausted and overwhelmed he was. He was basically Alpha for me with Hagan, but he was the strongest, so he was Alpha.

Really, he was.

And Reagan had never wanted that.

“I need help. This last situation was too much for me too. We need more help,” he told me. “We’re in a much better position, and I saw the signs earlier this time. I’m still sorry I hurt you and mishandled the situation. I am. It’s no excuse, but I’m drowning.”

“What do you need?” I asked as I wiped my eyes and leaned back to look at him.

He searched my gaze. “I do not want another woman. Not ever. That’s not what this is about when I—”

“Reagan, spit it out before I freak out again,” I whispered, my heart beating in my throat. Guilt was pouring off of him.

He sighed. “Freddie has Jessica. Her role in the pack is basically to support him while yes, she works, but she’s always picking up to help him. Joan for Nestor as well. Theon and Christos don’t have the same type of job as Beta as we do.”

I moved my hand over his mouth when he went to ramble some more. “You want a ‘Vinn’ basically? Not a little wifey, but you need more specific help because you are basically Alpha as my partner?”

Relief filled his eyes and the guilt left from my nose.

Good thing I knew how to speak Reagan.

“Done,” I said easily, nodding when his eyes flashed shock. “Done and done, Reagan. Seriously, we all need a fucking Vinn. I think Carter does too. Hell, the Vinns can meet and handle some of the smaller shit too. It’s been much better having a coordinator for the Betas, right?”

“Yes. A thousand percent. It’s just Hagan and I handle business stuff and more because we’re the Betas who are your partners too. And I agree that Carter needs a Vinn. One of these ancient team leads coming in, and that team is just Carter’s help to jump around. Seriously. We just brought in another twenty prey shifters, and we’re all—all the buildings you bought—”

“Yeah, it’s too much,” I whispered, forgiving him for the shit with Eddie. “Next time make sure I know you’re on my side and work on fixing after things calm down. It especially hurt that Wade was being a sexist prick with me and you guys like ignored that.”

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