Page 57 of Alpha's Runaway Mate

A single tear slipped down my cheek, tracing the curve of my jaw. I barely wiped it off when I heard a soft voice call out to me.

“Mommy.”

Leo’s voice cut through the haze of my thoughts, and I immediately dabbed at the tear, pushing my emotions aside to focus on him. I turned to see him standing in the doorway, his small frame silhouetted by the dim light in the room. My face softened, and I gave him a warm, reassuring smile, gesturing for him to come closer.

“Are you okay?” I asked, pulling him to me and kissing the top of his hair. I didn’t want him to see the traces of tears on my face. I didn't want him to feel any fear about Kaine’s condition. I couldn’t let him lose hope, not when I was barely holding on to mine.

“How’s your wrist?” I asked, already checking both of his slender wrists. “And your neck?” I added, titling his chin gently to the side to inspect the tender area where Hecate’s knife had pressed. Leo was without a scar, at least physically. And a wave of relief washed over me.

“I’m fine, Mummy,” he replied, his voice steady though his eyes were full of concern. After my routine check, I couldn’t stop myself from pulling him closer again to hold him a little longer. “Is Daddy going to wake up soon? He promised we’d finish building Alpha Fenris together.”

A bittersweet laugh escaped me, but it was laced with tears that refused to fall. My gaze shifted to Kaine, still unconscious, hischest rising and falling with slow, uneven breaths. His breathing was too shallow, too slow, but the healer had assured me that it was to be expected. Even so, a knot of worry tightened in my chest.

I swallowed the thick knot in my throat before answering. “Your father is a strong man, Leo. And he always keeps his promises.” I had to believe that, even though doubts lingered in my mind.

A quiet moment passed between us as we both watched Kaine, his body battered and broken, but he was still here. Still fighting.

I stood from the chair, giving Leo’s hair a gentle ruffle as I tried to steady myself. “I need some air. Why don’t you stay with your father for now?”

Leo nodded, settling into the chair beside Kaine’s bed, his small hand resting gently on his father’s. I left the room without a word, needing the space to breathe and wrestle with my emotions. The weight of everything was too much to bear at that moment, but I needed to remain strong for Leo.

I walked through the pack house courtyard, stepping into the open air. The scent of blood and smoke still lingered, heavy in the atmosphere. As I made my way to the pack grounds, I saw pack members working together, hauling logs, bricks, and building materials to help reconstruct the town hall. Despite the tragedy that had torn through our pack, their resilience was evident. They still managed to smile, to band together, and rebuild what had been lost.

But as I watched them, a pang of guilt twisted in my chest for those who had lost loved ones. If I hadn’t returned to Crescent Valley, if I hadn’t come back into their lives, maybe this wouldn’t have happened. Maybe the pack wouldn’t have suffered the waythey had. I couldn’t shake the feeling that, in the end, I had brought nothing but chaos and pain to the people I cared about.

Lost in my thoughts, I didn’t hear the footsteps behind me until a voice broke the silence.

“Lyra.”

I startled, blinking back to reality. Turning, I saw Jonathan standing there, a log of wood resting over his shoulder, no doubt for the town hall rebuild.

“Jonathan,” I greeted, folding my arms across my chest, feeling a little off balance. “Are you part of the building crew?” I nodded toward the group of people, laughing as they worked and carried materials around the site.

“Actually,” he replied with a small smile, shifting the log to rest more comfortably on his shoulder, “I just went to grab some more wood. We’re trying to give the town hall a new look. Hopefully, we don’t have to chop down every tree in the woods to pull it off.”

I chuckled softly, shaking my head. “Hopefully,” I muttered, the weight of the day still pressing on me.

There was a brief silence as Jonathan regarded me for a moment. Finally, he broke the quiet. “How’s Kaine?” he asked.

I nodded in affirmation. “He’s doing a lot better now.”At least, I hoped so.

“That’s a relief,” Jonathan said with a smile. “I miss our hunting escapades together.”

“I’m sure he does, too,” I replied, my voice soft.

Another wave of silence fell upon us, but this time, it wasn’t just between Jonathan and me. I glanced over at the pack, noticing that many had turned their attention toward me, their gaze full of curiosity.

I turned my gaze back to the town hall, where a girl—about fifteen, with wide eyes and an eager expression—came running toward me, a hammer in her hands. She stopped in front of me, breathless, and extended the tool toward me.

“Elder Zephyr says you can join us. The more, the merrier,” she said, flashing me a bright, hopeful smile.

I looked from the girl to the pack, and my heart skipped when I saw Zephyr standing at the edge of the group, smiling and nodding at me in silent approval. For the first time since my return to Crescent Valley, the people didn’t look at me like an outsider. There was no judgment in their eyes, only something close to admiration.

“Jonathan was just telling us how you single-handedly defeated the Blackwood Alpha,” the girl continued, her grin wide and full of awe. “Everyone’s calling you a hero.”

A small laugh escaped me, but it was tinged with disbelief. I shook my head, fighting the lump in my throat. “No, I’m no hero. The real hero is the Alpha. If it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t even be here.”

She smiled, pressing the hammer into my hand before spinning on her heel and dashing back toward the town hall. Jonathan gave me a small, approving nod, his hand resting briefly on my shoulder. “Told you,” he said. “Come on, let’s go.”

---