Page 23 of Cruel Alpha Daddy

He hurries over to me, beaming. “It’s the best night’s sleep anyone had in weeks,” he says. “Today, we’re working on repairing the buildings, and the women have started cleaning. If you head into the main hall, there’s breakfast for everyone.”

“Good. Keep me updated, will you?”

“I will. How’s our luna?”

My breath catches in my throat, making my palms feel sweaty. There’s no way to sugar-coat this.

“Not well.”

Tucker frowns a little. “Sorry to hear that. We are all hoping for her to join us soon. We need a strong pair to lead us into our new future.”

“I agree,” I answer with conviction. “Just give me regular reports on the improvements. I’ll talk to Fiona.”

“No problem,” Tucker says, heading off.

In the main hall, they are serving bacon and eggs, fresh bread rolls, coffee, and tea. I get a thermos of coffee and a couple of plates of food, then go back to the cabin.

When I arrive, Fiona is awake but won’t speak to me. To my dismay, she barely picks at her food. I spend the entire day with her, and my anger slowly bleeds away, leaving only deep concern.

I can’t stand to see her like this.

Days pass, and she still won’t talk to me. I stop sleeping in the same bed with her, bringing in a camp bed for myself, but it doesn’t help. Fiona refuses to eat, barely drinks any water, and won’t speak a word.

By the fourth day, I realize that her happiness and health are worth more to me than anything else. I know I can’t just let her go, but I can’t leave her like this, either.

The next morning, I wake before dawn. The village is quiet, and I’m sure everyone else is still asleep. When I look over at Fiona, she’s watching me, but aside from opening her eyes, she hasn’t moved.

With a deep, rattling sigh, I go over to the bed, pulling out my key. Her eyes go wide with shock as I unlock the chain on her wrist.

“Will you come with me?” I ask. “Come out for a run, please?”

Fiona sits up, looking at me with suspicion. “Is this like a prison yard exercise?” she asks. “Are you going to chain me up again the second we get back?”

I shake my head. “Just come out with me and watch the sunrise. I want to talk to you.”

She nods and follows me outside. We shift and run into the woods. Fiona stays by my flank. I was ready for her to bolt away from me—and I truly don’t know if I would chase her or let her go.

She follows me into the next valley, where there’s a gentle waterfall and a small, deep pool beneath it. I plunge into the water, letting the icy rush awaken me. I shift back into my human shape, rinsing the dirt off my skin and out of my hair.

Fiona is doing the same, and even though I turn away from her to be polite, I keep my senses on high alert in case she tries to run. Tobias and his guys haven’t returned yet, but they will. I’m still not sure what I’ll do with them, but the only thing that matters is keeping Fiona safe.

I sit on the bank, and when Fiona is done bathing, she joins me. I stare at the bright line heralding the sun as it glows against the far-off mountain tops.

“I want to explain myself,” I begin, my throat so tight with emotion, I can barely get the words out. “I want you to know why I left you.”

She doesn’t speak, and when I look up, her eyes are fixed on mine, shimmering with emotion. I sigh, closing my eyes briefly.

This is one of the most painful things I’ve ever had to endure.

“When you asked me to come back to Silver Meadows with you, I got scared. Terrified, actually.”

“Scared of being with me?” she asks, surprised. “But we were so good together.”

I shake my head. “No. I mean, yes, I was scared of being with you. But it wasn’t just that. I could see it all so clearly. Anormal little house, on a suburban street filled with other pretty houses. A silly job, a routine… just like a regular person.”

She laughs softly. “Is that a bad thing?”

I turn and look into her eyes, trying to impress on her how serious this is. “It looks like a prison to me, Fiona,” my voice cracks as I open my heart to her. I can hardly breathe, but I keep going.

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