Page 9 of Bonded Beyond Regret

After losing their only pup, they went out to see the world, but they were more than happy to have me stuck in a place they didn’t want to be. How is that right?

Aisley hasn’t seen them in far too long. At this point, I’m not sure she would recognize them if we came across them on the street. That’s on them, not me.

Everyone has a choice.

“Ready, Mommy,” Aisley chirps and we head out of our new house.

When I pull up to drop her off, my gut is filled with butterflies. She unbuckles and leans forward between the front seats. Her voice is soft, like she’s talking to a feral animal, “It’s going to be okay, Mommy. I’m going to have so much fun and so are you.”

“I know,” I try to sound sure of myself, but I think it falls a little flat.

“Moving here is what we needed,” she whispers before kissing my cheek and I have to fight back tears. “Go to the packhouse and meet people. You’re so pretty and nice, they’ll want to be your friend.”

How in the name of the Moon Goddess did I get so lucky to have this little girl as my daughter?

“I think I’m going to check out training,” I admit.

She claps her hands, “Heck yeah, my mom is a badass.”

I gasp and whip around to look at my eight-year-old who should not be calling me a badass, even though it’s kind of nice to hear. She simple grins at me, waves, and hops out of the car. All I can do is shake my head.

Once I’m home, I go about unpacking a few things I had put off. I didn’t want to get overly emotional with Aisley at home, but now I’m alone. Surprisingly, unpacking my jewelry, including some pieces that Andrew got me, and the photo albums full of memories don’t have me wanting to crawl into a black hole and never come out.

“This place is good for us,”my wolf coos.“Peaceful.”

“It is, I think Aisley is right. This is what we needed.”

“Our pup is brilliant,”her growled words are filled with pride. She stretches in my mind, the move languid and smooth. She feels a lot more settled than she was before and I’m grateful for it.“Alpha Samuel is a pretty nice, sexy perk here too,”she purrs.

I’m more than a little shocked. My wolf has never shown even a little bit of interest in any male other than our mate. What do I even say to that? With not a single clue, I don’t say a thing and finish up with the last of the things we brought from Silver Howler.

Since breakfast is still being served in the packhouse, I change into some workout gear and leave the house. I’m nervous about trying to meet new people, but if I want to make it work here then it’s time for me to put in an effort.

I can almost hear Andrew whispering on the wind that he’s proud of me.

It’s not the first time that I could swear I’ve heard my mate, but this is the first time it hasn’t made me want to cry andcrawl into bed for days. No, this time I’m left with a feeling of lightness.

Is it this place? Is it because I’m finally trying to find a way to heal and move forward, even if it is without my mate at my side? I should feel like I’m betraying him—and I do a little bit—but the feeling isn’t debilitating.

When I step into the packhouse, the first person I see is Alpha Samuel coming down the stairs, probably from the Alpha suite which is on the top floor. The smile he gives me when he sees me has me stopping in my tracks. It’s a beautiful smile.

“Yes, it is,”my wolf agrees wholeheartedly.

“You’re very talkative,”I grunt back at her, and she rumbles out a purring growl in response. I’m just not sure if it’s at me or in response to seeing the Alpha in front of us.

It’s kind of strange and throwing me for a loop. My wolf hasn’t been silent since Andrew’s death, but I think she’s talked to me more in the last few days than she has in the last three years. This move must be what she needed as well.

“Nyx,” Alpha Samuel greets me as he steps close, but not so close that he’s encroaching on my personal space. “It’s good to see you,” his words drip with sincerity. “How are you settling in?”

“Good morning, Alpha Samuel.” Something crosses over his face when I use his title, but it’s there and gone too quickly for me to figure out what it means. “Everything is going well. We’ve unpacked everything and settled in.” He nods and then looks around me, like he’s looking for someone. The small frown on his face shouldn’t be attractive. When I clear my throat, his gaze snaps back up to mine. “Aisley started school today,” I explain.

“Oh,” he pouts before his face brightens, “I’m sure she’ll be talking your ear off when she gets done with her day.”

I chuckle softly and nod. It’s strange to find myself laughing when Aisley’s not around. For a long time, she’s the only thing in my life that has brought even a little bit of joy to my day.

“She will,” I agree, smiling at the thought. I gnaw on my bottom lip for a moment before deciding to just pull the band-aid off. “I actually wanted to talk to you about something, Alpha Samuel.”

His eyebrows shoot up toward his hairline before he nods. “Of course, Nyx,” he pauses before the words rush from his lips, “but please call me Samuel. There’s no need for you to use my title.”

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