Page 38 of The Alpha's Temptation

“But… what if you can’t?”

“I will.” I grabbed her hand and continued walking, the forest becoming familiar. “Come on. We’re almost home.”

Nerves bubbled up inside my stomach, something I had only started experiencing since she’d made it to this pack several months ago. She always made me nervous, in a good way, because I had to be the best I could for her.

But now… I wondered if my best wasn’t good enough.

She was stronger than me, but she didn’t know how to control it oruseit, which meant that we were bound to have more enemies looking to take her, to dissect her, to use her for their benefit, especially once someone stumbled upon the Whispering Pines Pack drained.

Once we reached the end of our journey and I spotted our property in this distance, Livia pulled her hair over her mark to cover it. A pang of hurt struck me in the chest, and I tucked her hair behind her shoulder again to show it off.

“I don’t know if I want Dad to see,” she whispered. “I don’t know what he’ll say.”

“It doesn’t matter what he says. You’re mine. And I’m not going to hide you. Not anymore.”

“But… I’m weak,” she said.

“You’re not weak, and you know it.”

“But what will everyone think?”

“I don’t care what they think. You’re mine.”

I didn’t care how many times I had to say it. I’d say it again and again and again. She was mine. And she was going to act likeit. I wasn’t hiding her any longer, and she wasn’t going to hide me.

She was my mate. And I was proud of her.

CHAPTER 28

LIVIA

“Dad… I… I can explain,”I said, my heart racing inside my chest.

When we finally returned home from the cabin a second time, Dad stared between Caelan and me with wide eyes, totally ignoring the blood covering our bodies and fixating on the marks on each of our necks.

There was no more hiding. No more pretending.

I opened and closed my mouth a handful of times, trying to explain. Trying to figure out what to say in order for him to accept it. But I didn’t know… WhatcouldI say to him? We had both been hiding this for so long.

Murmurs erupted between our pack members, and I suddenly wanted to crawl up into my bed like the first time I had come here, pretending like Mom was still alive. I hated the drama, and me being the first luna who couldn’t shift?! Of course that’d cause problems.

What was I thinking?! Why’d I think this would be easy? That this would work at all?!

After another tense moment, Dad finally pulled me toward him, enveloping me in a tight hug. My eyes widened, my entirebody stiffening for a moment before I finally found myself hugging him back and relaxing.

Dad never hugged, but I… I needed this right now.

“You’re… not mad?” I whispered.

“No. I thank Lycos that you’re safe,” he said into my ear, tugging me closer.

“But…”

“I don’t care about who you’re mated to. I just want you to be safe. I know I don’t show it that often. I know it sometimes feels like I want you to leave—that I don’t love you—but I do. I just want you to be happy.”

“Dad…”

“Ever since your mother died…” His voice cracked, and he pulled back just enough for me to see the tears in his eyes. “I know we weren’t together, but you remind me so much of her. I always wanted her to be happy. That’s why I had to let her go.”

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