Page 41 of The Alpha's Lunar Crown

"There's always an excuse, always. For once, just own up to your mistakes and then apologize!"

He lowers his gaze, but not before I catch a twinge of regret in his eyes.He starts to say something but decides against it, his eyes straying away from mine. Guilt, shame, and sadness are dancing on his features."You cannot pick or choose when you want to be in our lives, Lucien. I will not do that to my son!" I yell, finally losing control over the emotions that have been building since we entered the room.

The pain I feel is overwhelming. There is no way in hell I'll let him walk all over me again, not after everything. This has gone far enough."Aurora," he begins, his eyes softening slightly, "There's so much you don't know, so much."

"Maybe if you explained it all clearly to me, I wouldn't be so damn clueless," I reply, my voice cracking with the weight of my emotions. I have a feeling there's so much he's not telling me, but I have no desire to push the subject any further than I should.

He sighs, his shoulders slumping lightly, "It doesn't matter anymore."Typical Lucien, never giving the full story but expecting me to understand, regardless. I'm not moved by his antics.Turning to face him fully, I continue, "I'm not here for you. Don't nurse that thought. Ronan is sick." I feel my voice trail off at this point, so I pause, taking a minute to compose myself before I go on, "We're only here for as long as it takes for him to get better and not a day more."

I'm surprised to see his expression soften. He's hurt, but I don't seem to understand why. There's a lingering trace of an emotion I cannot fully comprehend.He nods slowly, "I'll make arrangements for a place you can both settle in for the duration of your stay."

"I'm not staying in your house if that's what you're offering," I say, almost defensively.

I feel stupid for saying it when I notice a smile playing at the corners of his lips, "It's not my house I'm offering. It's yours.

****

I trail behind him quietly as he leads the way to where Ronan is, pausing at intervals to let my eyes wander about his house.There are portraits lining the walls, from pictures of people to random paintings of the sunset."After you," he says, holding the door open and gesturing inside.

I nod curtly, walking past him, my eyes scanning the room for a moment before it finally lands on him.

"Ronan!" I yell when I find him sitting upright with a strange woman sitting beside him. Both of them look up at me, but only Ronan matches my happiness.I open my arms wide and pull him into an embrace, burying my nose in the crook of his neck.

He hugs me back, his grip almost as firm as mine.

"He's better now. But he's not entirely out of the woods just yet." The lady says, a smile gracing her features and revealing a perfect set of dentation.

I nod, breaking our embrace as I turn to her. "And to whom do I owe my thanks?" I ask, stretching a hand in her direction.

"I'm the healer," she says simply, taking my hand briefly for a handshake.

"Thank you," I reply, my gratitude evident in my expression. She's not the pack healer I used to know while I was still here, but she has the same warmth and empathy the previous one had.

The woman shrugs lightly, "It's nothing." She stands, picks up a bag and turns towards me. "I'll return here later on to work my magic on him. For now, just keep a close eye on him."

"Actually," I begin, forcing her to a halt, "We won't be staying here." I couldn't help but notice the assumption earlier and strongly feel the need to correct it."Oh," her face falls slightly, "My apologies then. Just get anyone to tell me where, and I'll stop by."I nod, my smile intact, as my eyes follow her out of the room. I notice for the first time since I walked inside that Lucien is still perched at the door, his hands deep in his pockets and his eyes on my son. Our son. I need to get used to that.

I turn my attention to Ronan just then, lowering myself to his height, one knee pressing against the cold floor, "You gave me such a scare," I whisper to him, trying my best to suppress a sob that threatens to escape my throat. I run my fingers through his hair, sniffing his scent as if for dear life.His forehead rests against mine, his eyes fluttering shut, "I'm sorry."

I shake my head softly, "No, don't be," I sniff in a tear. "It's not your fault at all." I hold him, pressing his fragile body against mine, my mind at peace now that I know he's going to be alright.Lucien clears his throat, bringing our intimate moment to a premature end. He towers above us, a warm smile gracing his features, "How are you feeling?" he asks, his smile never faltering.

I lean back, reluctantly letting go so they can talk.

"Better," Ronan answers, his eyes never leaving the man as if trying to ascertain if he's friend or foe.

Lucien nods, "Let me show you your new home."

Ronan's eyes widen in surprise, "Why can't we stay? I like it here," he protests, his tone almost pleading.Lucien lowers himself to our level, "I have a feeling you'll like where we're going a lot more."My boy smiles, both eyes twinkling with delight, "Alright," he says, skipping happily towards the door. "Mum, come on!" For a brief moment, the similarities in their features throw me off, the striking resemblance almost palpable.I stand, turning towards Lucien to mouth an audible thank you as I hurry to catch up with my son, who is seemingly bubbling with excitement.I secure Ronan in the passenger seat before moving to settle behind, which is my own way of putting some space between Lucien and me.

I watch quietly as the both of them carry on in an easy conversation, my heart heavy with admiration I cannot easily shake off. I let myself imagine for a moment how our lives would be if Lucien had been present from the start.A warmth crawls into my chest as I bask in my delusion. But that's all it is—a simple imaginary scenario.The car comes to a halt. My house, from a lifetime ago, stands erect before us. As we file out of the car, my mouth hangs open in obvious amazement as I make my way inside, eyes darting about.

I pause in the middle of the room, turning to face Lucien, "This…did you do this?"He smiles, refusing to answer as he busies himself with my son. The house, both its interior and exterior, is tidy and, from the looks of it, has been maintained properly over the years.I feel a tugging sensation in my chest as the memories of our time together swirl in my mind. I can almost smell his cologne as the memories of his skin pressing against mine fill my senses.

"Mum?" A low voice calls, pulling me out of my reverie.I blink, nodding in my son's direction, "Yes?""Are we really going to stay here?" His eyes are hopeful, drawing a small smile from me as I reach to pat his hair.

"Yeah, we are."

His grin spreads, and he runs off, disappearing behind a door. Now, with Lucien and I alone, there's a lingering sense of unease in the air.I clear my throat, raising my eyes to meet his gaze. "Thank you for everything." I'm as polite as I have to be.

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