Page 54 of Alpha Wolf's Arranged Bride
“I know it,” Jarrod says. “But I can feel the blood tie. I know you’re my father, and that I’m like you. Somehow, I just always knew I was the son of an alpha.”
I snuggle Jarrod against my chest again, trying to kill the hurt inside me with the force of our hug.
“I’m sorry I left you,” I mutter.
Jarrod tightens his grip on me. “I know it was complicated, grown-up stuff, and you don’t want to tell me. That’s okay. I hope one day you will. And it really doesn’t matter if we’re all going to stay together now.”
“You bet we are!” I answer. “I’m not letting you or your mom go, ever again.”
“That’s good to hear,” Scarlett says, watching from the doorway.
“Hey, Mom,” Jarrod says. “Dad and I were catching up.”
“I can see that,” she replies, coming into the kitchen to join the hug. “It’s great to see you two getting along.”
I give Scarlet a brief kiss before she pours herself some coffee and sits at the table. While Jarrod energetically talks about last night’s dreams and his hopes for the day, I sit next to Scarlett, feeling her love for me and seriously wondering how I got this lucky.
I don’t deserve her forgiveness, but I will earn it every day for the rest of our lives.
“So, how are you feeling about today, Jarrod?” Scarlett asks.
“Good,” Jarrod answers. “It’s time to get back to school, I guess. I’ve had like a week off.”
“Longer than that,” I say. “But you were settling into your new home. No one will mind.”
“We should get ready,” Scarlett says, pointing at the clock. “You don’t want to be late on your first day.”
“Okay, Mom,” Jarrod says, shoveling the last of his pancakes into his mouth before rushing upstairs.
“I never saw anyone so excited to go to school,” I mutter.
Scarlett chuckles. “You don’t understand how hard school was for him back at Eccles. The other kids were mean to him, and the teachers were always on his case. I often thought he’d actually enjoy school if he just got the chance.”
I can’t respond to that without expressing my anger at her pack, so I just give her hand a squeeze and kiss her cheek before clearing up the table. While Scarlett gets dressed, I throw together a lunchbox for Jarrod, even though the school has a cafeteria that serves everyone for free.
Every kid in the world deserves free lunch at school—that’s not even a question. But in this town, it’s just another way for the guild leaders to show off.
The morning is bright and clear, one of those days when the blue sky goes on forever and the horizon looks close enough to touch. I want to believe it’s an omen of the future, bestowing good fortune on us, but as we drive to the school, my phone buzzes several times.
I’m pretty sure that’s not Celeste texting me about a bake sale.
When we get to the school, I go in with Scarlett and Jarrod, stubbornly ignoring my phone. Mrs. Florence comes out to give Jarrod and his mom a tour, so I go with them, holding Jarrod’s hand most of the way.
The first bell for class rings, and Jarrod lets go of me to run into the classroom with the other kids. Even though he’s barely gone twenty feet from me, I feel a sudden, intense ache of loss.
“That takes some getting used to,” Scarlett says gently.
“What?” I ask.
“That feeling when your kid lets go of you. Even if they aren’t going far, it still hurts. Makes you want to chase them down, wrap your arms around them, and never let them go.”
“You got that right,” I say, relieved that my reaction is normal. “I can’t imagine my life without him.”
“That being said,” Scarlett adds, smiling, “I think you have some life stuff to take care of? Your phone has been going nuts in your pocket.”
“Yeah,” I sigh. “Alpha stuff, I’m sure.”
“Well, you go do your alpha stuff and pick us up later. I’ll stick around here and make myself useful.”
