Page 13 of My Ruthless Alpha

Meeting her gaze and matching her curiosity, I couldn't help but examine her closer this time.

There was something uncanny about her features. She looked like Miles when he was a kid, and the thought alone put more questions in my head.

While her face certainly resembled Faye’s, Margo had dark hair and eyes like me, and while I still didn’t want to come to any conclusions, I couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more to the story than Faye simply moving on with someone else.

Looking a bit shy then, Margo leaned against the closest counter and fiddled with her hair while she gave me a sheepish smile. “Who are you?”

Something was amusing about the way she looked at me, both curious and timid at the same time. I attributed that to me being a complete stranger to her. “I’m Beau…and I heard your name’s Margo, right?”

She nodded, and her smile grew by a fraction. “Is this your house?”

“It is. Do you like it?”

“Yes…it’s big,” Margo said through her quiet giggles, as if aware she had snuck away from her mother. “And it smells like breakfast.”

Chuckling, I lifted a brow in her direction. “Are you hungry?”

When she nodded again, I grinned, broke off a piece of bacon, and handed it to her. “Good, because breakfast is almost ready.”

Margo brightened at the mention of it and the piece I offered her, and she took a small, content bite.

I didn’t know what it was, but seeing Margo’s pleased and warm expression stirred a sense of satisfaction in me, almost like I just wanted to do right by her. Even if I didn’t know her, I tried to protect her just as much as I wanted to do the same for her mother.

Whether it was intentional or not, I felt strangely touched by the fact that she sought me out.

Faye, looking exasperated as she glanced around, let go of a relieved breath once she found the little girl standing nearby. “Thank the Goddess…you wriggly worm…not letting me finish your hair.”

Knowing she was caught, Margo giggled as Faye swooped in and scooped her up, making the little girl laugh harder.

Sighing, Faye glanced over at me, and if I wasn’t mistaken, I could’ve sworn I felt her eyes do a full sweep of me while I got started on the eggs. She cleared her throat and wrangled Margo as best as she could. “Sorry about her energy…she’s a bit wild in the morning.”

Chuckling to myself, I shook my head and moved the scrambled eggs around in the pan. “Don’t worry about it, I don’t mind.”

We locked eyes then, and something about the faint smile on her lips made my heart squeeze like it always used to.

I didn’t know how she managed to have that power over me after all this time, but it was undeniable. She was always so effortlessly beautiful to me, but watching her with Margo exacerbated its effect on me.

In a way, it made me feel more guilty, knowing how badly she wanted to have a family of her own one day and how we both agreed upon it in the future. I probably ruined that perfect family image she had in her head all because I needed to understand myself and where I stood in the pack ranks.

I wasn’t sure if she’d ever forgive me for that, but I could only hope I might get the chance to make it better…to prove to her that I used the time wisely and I did grow to be a better man.

After a moment of staring, getting lost in that faint crackle of unspoken tension, I forced myself to focus on the task at hand. “This will be ready soon…I made more than enough.”

Faye looked vaguely surprised by the offer but smiled and carried Margo to the dining table. “That’s really nice…thank you.”

With a nod, I continued with the food, determined to make sure they were both cared for, regardless of her intentions to leave as soon as possible.

The thought of her going after just getting her back in my life made my chest ache, but I couldn’t say anything about it just yet.

While I finished preparing the food, Faye sat the young girl down. With an elastic around her wrist, she carefully put up the other side of her hair until both halves were in uniform pigtails.

I glanced over from time to time, taking in how she interacted with the girl. It was easy to see how much she loved Margo and how easily the little girl brightened up her world—it seemed to go both ways.

Something about it sparked that strange sensation in my heart again, and I did my best not to think too deeply about it.

“All right…” I said, putting appropriate portions on two plates before bringing them over to the table. “For you two.”

Faye smiled as they both accepted the warm meal, murmuring her thanks again. Then, she looked at Margo and lifted a brow at her. “What do you say?”

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