Page 32 of The Alpha's Reclaimed Mate

“Come on,” Lucas said, quickly changing the subject. “I have more to show you.”

“More? Like what?”

He led me to the door. “Whatever it takes to get a smile out of you.”

The heat in my skin was almost enough to quirk my lips. I had to look away again, my heart aching, because as much as I wanted to smile for Lucas, I knew all of this was only temporary. Even my new outfit probably wouldn’t last long.

But Lucas really meant it when he said he wanted to show me everything. The day was filled with visits to shops and offices, brief greetings, and introductions to his packmates, all of whom smiled and shook my hand and sang praises of my efforts to help Lucas in his fight against the rogues. They were all aware of what had happened—they all knew that I was the one who helped him fend off his attackers, and now the evidence of my physical altercations was here before their very eyes, in bandages and bruises.

“You’re so terribly brave,” said someone.

“We might have lost our Alpha if it wasn’t for your quick thinking and selflessness,” said someone else.

“The village feels a little brighter, seeing you walking around,” commented an older man, as if I was the first ray of sunshine he’d seen in a long time.

When we stopped to sit down in the park in the center of the village, I clasped my hands together and looked anywhere but at Lucas. “I had no idea the shifters of the Silent Shadows Pack were such lovely people,” I said. “I’d met a couple of people during my training, but that was in a professional setting.”

“Yes. They all seem to like you,” Lucas murmured.

“That’s surprising.”

“It shouldn’t be.”

“Tell that to my pack,” I laughed dully.

But this time, Lucas didn’t laugh. He held my eyes with a seriousness that seemed out of place for the otherwise light-hearted mood of our day together. “Do they know you’re gone?”

I slowly shook my head. “I’m not sure they even care.”

Hearing that, Lucas’ face flashed with annoyance. It wasn’t directed at me. “What kind of pack doesn’t even care if one of their own is missing? It’s terrible they’re treating you this way, Aria. They’re taking you for granted. You have so much promise, so much to offer. You shouldn’t be wasting your time with them. Hell, maybe I should just keep you here.”

“Wh-What?”

“Obviously, they’re just going to mistreat you. You’ll never reach your full potential in the Grey Creek Pack. It’s disappointing—I have high expectations of my allies, and they’re not meeting them. But that’s not your fault,” Lucas went on. “Stay here. Let me deal with Oswald and his pack appropriately.”

I was lost for words. Lucas didn’t seriously want me here, did he? Didn’t he realize how much trouble I was prone to causing? “I… I don’t know. They’re my family.”

“Family is who you choose to love,” said Lucas. “You don’t owe them anything. Especially not if they treat you this way.”

I’d never thought about it like that before. I never realized I had an option.

Yet here was Alpha Lucas Black, telling me that family was whoever I wanted it to be.

Was it possible that I could find a new family here?

In the dark void of doubt that had settled in my chest, at long last, there was a small shimmering light of hope. Even though I knew his offer was too good to be true—that I would be betraying myself, my family, and my pack by leaving them—a part of me wanted desperately to accept his advice and make my own family.

He reached out and clasped my hand with reassurance.

Inside I crumbled, knowing I couldn’t stay as much as I wanted to.

Chapter 14: Aria

It destroyed me to separate from Lucas. The entire walk back to the Grey Creek Pack was heavy with impending doom like I was walking to my death. The only thing that made it tolerable was Lucas’ company, but when we reached the borders of my pack territory in the early evening, he stopped us and touched my shoulder. “This is where I have to leave you,” he said softly. “I do wish you’d stay. At least tell me you’ll think about it.”

I owed him that much. “I won’t be able to stop thinking about it,” I admitted, then immediately regretted sharing that.

Lucas just smiled, squeezing my shoulder. “That makes two of us.”

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