Page 74 of Cruel Alpha Daddy

“I like it,” Lilah says, grinning. “Much better than Sawpit.”

“Excuse me,” Caleb pipes up. “My dad really needs to sit down, and I’m pretty hungry.”

Maddy gives me a knowing look, her eyes full of apology. I nod, showing her I accept it, but I won’t forget how quickly she turned on my mate when things got bad.

“Hello there,” Lilah says, bending down to speak to Caleb. “I’m Lilah, and you must be the alpha pup.”

“Yes,” he answers. “I’m Caleb.”

“We have breakfast cooking, young man, don’t you worry. Your dad can lay down and rest all he wants once we get back. Not that he’s likely to.”

“I’ll have to chain you to the bed,” I say, tugging on Rider’s hand and giving him a mischievous look.

He blushes bright pink. “I suppose that’s only fair,” he teases back. “But be gentle.”

I kiss him quickly on the lips. “No promises.”

We make our way down the hill, and Caleb runs ahead of us. He joins the crowd of children playing behind the hall and immediately becomes completely involved in a ball game. When the other boys call for him to join them at the creek to look for tadpoles, he eagerly chases after them.

I help Rider back to our cabin and settle him in bed. He groans as he finally takes the weight off his feet and closes his eyes. As I look him over and carefully take off his bandages, he cooperates, letting me care for him.

“This wound on your forearm is bad, almost to the bone,” I say, looking at it. “We might have to stitch it. I don’t even know how you kept fighting like this.”

“I don’t, either,” he says, coughing a little. “But I just couldn’t leave Caleb… or you.”

Fresh guilt floods through me then, and I lower my eyes. Rider touches my chin gently.

“Hey. It’s okay. I understand.”

I shake my head, feeling tears threatening to spill down my cheeks. “I should have trusted you.”

“I should have trusted you, too,” he counters. “I locked you up, Fiona. You were also attacked multiple times. Of course you had to protect your child.”

“But if I had told you, maybe it wouldn’t have gone down like that.”

Rider shakes his head. “No. I’m happy you kept Caleb out of it—really. If Tobias had found out about him…”

I squeeze Rider’s hand, and he looks up into my eyes. Leaning down, I kiss him gently on the lips, letting the kiss deepen until he wheezes a little.

“Sorry, darlin’,” he drawls. “Looks like I might have a slight life-threatening injury. Don’t worry, though. Give me a second or two, and I’ll get it up.”

“Don’t you dare,” I giggle, teasing him. “You need all your energy to heal.”

“All of it?” he asks mischievously.

“Yes,” I say sternly. Leaning over, I run my hands across the bruises on his chest.

“That is not fair,” he grumbles. “You tell me no, then start feeling me up?”

“Hush! These bruises are bad. You’re fractured all over.”

“I won’t let that stop me.”

“Tell you what… if you sleep a few hours and have some soup, I promise you a short but very hot make-out session.”

“How short?” he asks. “And what terms? Naked? Clothes on? PG-13?”

I press my finger to his lips, winking. “That’s all part of the surprise.”

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