Page 22 of My Ruthless Alpha

She was my blood, and Faye’s too, which meant I had no problem taking on every capacity of her life and merging ours together.

It had been a mistake for me to run off to spare Faye and figure myself out since it meant I couldn’t get those early years back. But at the same time, I had more to offer her and her mother now.

I had the stability a mate and father should be able to provide, and while we didn’t have the kind of bond I wanted just yet, I knew it was still possible. She was young enough to develop those connections quickly, and I only needed to give her my time and attention.

Since I knew about Margo’s existence and that she was mine, I wanted to make up for it in every way I could. She deserved more than she previously had, and while I didn’t expecther to accept me right away, I still hoped she would feel a similar familiarity. At least then, it would make the whole process smoother and easier for her to develop a deeper bond with me.

“You’re sure you don’t mind me going? I can reschedule with my brothers,” I said while I pulled a shirt on and glanced over at Faye while she remained in bed with the blankets covering her.

She gave me a small smile and shook her head. “I don’t mind…you already had this planned, so go ahead. Margo will be up soon, so I’ll just stay back with her.”

A part of me wanted to bring the two of them with me, but I also didn’t want to extend the invitation when my brothers were expecting a boy’s day of fishing. Plus, I didn’t think sitting around waiting for our lines to be snagged would keep Margo occupied long enough.

Despite that blossoming bond within me telling me to stay back and spend as much time with the two of them as I physically could, I pushed it down and nodded.

I was eager to be around them and to feel more of Faye’s affection, but I also didn’t want to push things too quickly. We did have sex, and we gave in to some degree, but that didn’t mean everything was fixed.

Regardless of how receptive she had been already, Faye still had some reservations about me, and I didn’t blame her for it. I knew it meant I’d have to take things slow and build that trust again.

“All right…I should grab Miles and head out before we miss the prime hours,” I hummed, moving around the bed to her side. Gently, I reached out and brushed my fingers against her bare shoulder. “I’ll be back in a few hours. I’m just a call…or a shout away if you need anything.”

Faye smiled in return and nodded, allowing herself to react to my touch with a faint shiver. “We’ll be here when you get back.”

With a final parting, I left the bedroom, found Miles before we left the house, and picked up the other two.

It was just after sunrise, and when we reached the lake, the water was almost completely still, as fog rolled across its surface.

Despite the four of us being there, it was still quiet while we sent our lines out and sat back in the boat.

We spent at least an hour in near silence while we took in the morning and waited for the first few bites. Fishing wasn’t exactly the ideal shifter hunting method, but it was something the group of us always enjoyed doing, regardless of age or what we had going on.

While they were a bit more begrudging about it at times, I always insisted that we go anyway since it helped us stay connected even when our lives became more hectic.

After having the occasional light conversation and catching a few fish before putting them in the cooler, we fell silent again before I could practically feel the smugness emanating from Miles.

I already knew what he was going to say before he even opened his mouth.

“You know…Beau has had a recent development recently,” he hinted, very quickly drawing the other two's attention.

I felt their eyes on me immediately, and Tyler lifted a curious brow as he placed some fresh bait onto his hook. “Oh? And what’s the development then?”

“Has he found a mate yet?” Aiden asked with a teasing grin.

“Close…potentially…” Miles insinuated before I could even speak up.

That made their interest pique to new heights.

Aiden’s eyes widened, and he chuckled. “That was supposed just to be a joke…but go on. Tell us.”

Sighing, I scrubbed a hand down my face. “I was going to tell you at some point, but of course, this loudmouth had to go and spill it,” I muttered, giving Miles a light shove.

He chuckled and took it without complaining. “There was no way I’d let you stall any longer…and I’m definitely not letting you stall more.”

Knowing I had no choice but to tell them the details right then and there, I nodded. “Since you three are so nosey, I guess I’ll just come out and say it…you two remember Faye, right?”

“The one you dated? Yeah, of course,” Aiden said with a nod.

Tyler scoffed at the former. “They didn’t just date…they were practically mates at that point.”

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