Page 67 of Rejected By The Alpha Heir

"Come now, let's get you two home. Austin will take care of things, not to worry."

Chapter Twenty-Four

Austin

“And the wolf lived happily ever after in the woods.”

I close the storybook and look down at my sleeping daughter nestled next to me on the loveseat. My heart almost explodes with joy and happiness.I have a family.

Carefully, I edge my hands underneath her and pick her up, carrying her to her bedroom. Yelena passes me in the hall, turning around to follow me and help me open the door.

The last few days have been chaotic as we get used to being in the pack again as a family. Everyone has come to visit and pay their respects to their new Luna, as well as meet Cleo. It’s been wonderful, but exhausting. The challenges of dealing with the unknown wolf and securing our borders have been taking up much of my time. There are many nights when I come home so late that I miss Cleo’s bedtime entirely. But, every night, Yelena is there to greet me. There’s food waiting for me and a warm, listening ear.

Yelena is my rock, and this time, I am determined to make sure she knows just how happy and grateful I am for her support and for our little family. My work in these early days as Alpha is essential. Our pack has to know that I am prepared to lead and protect, but I hate how much it takes me away from my Lunaand my child. Knowing they are waiting for me at home makes it bearable. Still, the schedule has been taking a toll on us all. Cleo’s sleep has been disrupted, and that means Yelena and I haven’t been sleeping well either.

I place her down on her bed, hardly daring to breathe as I pull my hands away and Yelena quickly covers the young girl with a blanket.

We both creep out of the room, taking care to shut the door quietly.

“Nice job! We did it,” Yelena whispers, giving me a kiss. “Want to have a glass of wine with me?”

I smile and walk with her, my hand at the small of her back.

“That sounds fantastic,” I agree.

We open a bottle of red wine that was gifted to us as a mating present by Vincent, and snuggle in next to each other on the loveseat.

“When does the trainer get here?” Yelena asks, sipping at her wine.

“Next week. Aurelia comes highly recommended. She’s one of the few trainers who is endorsed by the Shifter Council and the Coven Council. She’s a powerful Seer and mentor. She will train Cleo well. I know it.”

Yelena nods and toys with the stem of her glass. “I just want Cleo to be okay.”

I nod, pulling her close to my chest. “We both want that, sweetheart. I think this is the right thing to do.”

Yelena leans into me, and my wolf wants to howl with delight. He’s been extremely pleased by the recent change of events and how much contact we’ve had with our mate and overjoyed by our claiming her as our Luna.

We sit in silence for a while, savoring our wine and each other’s company. It feels comfortable, natural even. Like we were supposed to be like this all along.Which, I guess, we kind of were.

I lean down to kiss her forehead, inhaling her sweet scent. Yelena looks up at me with a shy smile, causing my heart to skip a beat. With everything going on of late, it has been hard for us to find time for ourselves and connect as a couple.

“I’m sorry for being a dick all those years ago,” I whisper.

She smiles. “We’re here now and look what we have,” she whispers back. “Perhaps the Moon Goddess predestined our journey this way for a reason. Not just for us, but for Cleo.”

I nod in agreement, stroking her hair gently.

“Of course. We’ll be there for her every step of the way.”

Yelena snuggles closer to me, resting her head on my chest. Our bond thrums between us, pulsing with love and affection. It’s still new and raw to have it so front and center in my soul, but already it feels like second nature to have her by my side. My wolf purrs contentedly at having his mate so close after years of longing for her.

“I’m so grateful for you,” Yelena sighs contently. "I could stay like this forever,"

"Me too, my love," I reply, stroking her hair. “I’m grateful for you too.”

She tips her face up to mine, and I stroke her jaw before leaning in slowly and capturing her soft lips. I kiss her deeply, the bitter taste of the wine lingering on our tongues.

After everything we've been through to get here, having this moment together feels like nothing short of a miracle.

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