Page 26 of Betrayed Alpha Bride

“Nico,” I answer quietly. “His episodes and nightmares keep getting worse, and I know he needs a shifter to help him. We didn’t have much going for us back home, and I just filled out the form without thinking too much about it. I was pretty surprised to meet Galen at the lake, though.”

“And both of you had already signed and sealed the deal,” Winnie says, still watching me keenly. “It’s like Porter’s knew you had a past.”

A tense silence falls as I wonder how much Winnie knows. Since Galen looks a bit uncomfortable as well, I’m guessing she hasn’t been told our full story.

I don’t know if I should be happy about that or not. Did he protect my privacy, or keep me a secret because he was ashamed?

“Hey, Mom!” Nico calls, approaching from the park. “There are some other kids playing soccer. Can I go and play, too?”

“I should go with you,” I answer, standing up.

“I’ll go,” Galen says, gesturing at me to sit back down. “Don’t worry, I got this.”

I sit back down, watching them go. Nico is bounding at Galen’s side, staring up at his dad with big, excited eyes. As Galen reaches down and takes Nico’s hand, I see his expression soften. The gentle smile on his face as he looks at his son makes my heart ache.

They need each other. I have to make this work for both of them.

“Okay, Clara,” Winnie says, squeezing my hand. “Now that the boys are gone, tell me everything. How did you end up with Galen’s kid?”

“Well, the answer to that should be obvious,” I say, turning back to give her a frown.

“Ha!” Winnie shakes her head, grinning. “I need details, though!”

I give her a look. “That sounds a bit creepy, Winnie.”

Winnie lets out a long, loud cackle. “You really are a firecracker. The town will have its hands full with both of us witty women.”

“Well, Mrs. Haggerty will enjoy it,” I consider with a grin.

Winnie laughs even harder. “I’m so happy to have you for my sister,” Winnie says, practically breathless with laughter. “I always wanted one, and I never imagined you’d be so much fun!”

I smile back at her, a little taken aback by the idea that I now have a sister.

I’ve got a whole family now, and so does Nico.

“Let’s dial it back again,” Winnie says, smothering her giggles. “How did you first meet? I was so young at the time, I can’t remember.”

“Me and Galen?” I say. “You don’t ‘meet’ a superstar like Galen. You stumble around in the background of his life until he accidentally runs into you.”

“I don’t think that’s true,” Winnie says with a little wink. She pulls out her phone and flicks through it, turning it to show me a picture.

I lean in, examining the details. It’s a graceful lily, drawn in charcoal on a poster-sized piece of paper.

“That’s mine!” I exclaim. “I drew that!”

“It’s hanging on his bedroom wall,” Winnie says, smiling. “It’s been there for years. He took it from the art exhibition without telling anyone.”

I stare at the screen in disbelief for a few more seconds before I shake my head and look away. The idea of Galen knowing about my existence in the first years of school is impossible to contemplate.

“So, I’ll ask again. How did you meet?” Winnie asks.

“The library,” I say softly. “I used to hide out in there. I was always reading or studying something. He came by and offered to help me with a school project.”

“Ooh, tell me more!” Winnie presses, grinning. “Secret love between the stacks!”

Winnie’s comment is innocent, but I suddenly shy away from telling her all the details of my relationship with Galen. Even though I feel like I can trust her, there are some corners of my heart I’ve kept hidden for so long, it would be too painful to open them.

“No, it wasn’t like that,” I backpedal quickly. “We became good friends, but there was no big romance.”

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