Page 99 of Unforgivable

Alpha Jax

"What did you want me to do, Jess?" I ask my mate and my luna, tiredly. "She was standing there, with the Genom males by her side, covered in their scents. Half the pack in the bakery was shocked at how her appearance changed over the last few months. It was time to lift her exile."

"Think about what she did, Jax!" Jessi wraps her arms around her torso, sorrow, and anger clear in every line of her body.

"You don't think that Daan is a little culpable?" I ask, barely keeping the sarcasm out of my voice. My son... that is a quagmire that I can't escape from. How do you punish your own flesh and blood? What would his punishment even be?

"Yes, of course he is. But that's between him and Cloe. She's the one who's been hurt by this." Jessi scoffs, "Mari told me the other day that Liam Prescott is supposedly Penny Song's mate. Can you imagine? That female stole her own little sister's mate!"

I feel my heart sink even further. "Is that true? Liam Prescott is Penny's mate?"

Jessi shrugs. "So Mari believes."

"What a fucking clusterfuck that male created, for himself," I emphasize. I'm stunned at this news.

"You don't understand, Jax," Jessi emphasizes, "It's what that female does. I've seen how badly Lyri Song affected Cloe. Year after year. She was like some sort of malevolent shadow, always there and stomping all over Cloe's accomplishments."

"I know," I sigh. I never wanted to be involved in petty squabbles between two teenage females. "But Cloe is the future luna, and dad is right; Lyri Song is most likely mated to a powerful male somewhere out there." I pinch the back of my neck. "Think, sweetheart. One day that male will show up, and all hell will break loose because those Genom males won't give her up without a fight."

"Then you should send them away," Jessi snaps. "Don't let them be on our land anymore."

I raise an eyebrow at her, my ire spiking. "They own that land, Jessi. Other than the ethical question of kicking them out, do you remember who Rhet Kierson is related to?"

Jessi looks away.

"I am not calling the wrath of his family down on our heads, Jess. No one wants the crazed alpha of LoboGris here with his pack."

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Rhet

"Ffffuck," Ezra slumps at the kitchen table, his eyes red and bleary. His shoulders are curled inward, the pounding of his hangover not helping his sense of shame this morning.

"Feel bad, bro?" Thjis walks in and slaps Ezra on the back, hard enough to make our brother groan, clutching his head. Thjis moves around to his seat with a dangerous glint in his eyes. Ezra did interrupt his declaration of love for Lyri last night. Revenge is sweet.

"Don't be mean, Bear," Lyri scolds him gently as she walks into the room.

Ezra won't look at her, but it doesn't stop our female from cupping his cheek in her palm and kissing him gently.

"Love you, Sunshine," she purrs.

Ezra lights up just like his stupid nickname. Hangover banished, I guess.

Thjis grunts his disapproval, and she smirks in his direction. "Love you, too, grumpy Bear."

"More," he mutters. I'm not sure what that means, but fuck it.

I clear my throat. Dancing hazel eyes meet mine. She's bulldozing through her fear this morning. I can see her discomfort, but she refuses to give into it.

"And you, too, Blue Eyes," she whispers.

Something settles in my soul. A yearning. Her cutesy nickname for me has a meaning that's like a sucker punch. My eyes are distinctive, I know that, and I also know they upset her. They remind her of that night. She's letting me know that she's forgiven me, that she loves me and my fucking eerie eyes.

I kiss her mouth hard and walk out of the kitchen without speaking. I can't talk around the lump in my throat.

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I toss the hunk of moldy rope into the bucket of debris. New Rocky, Rocky the III, is due to arrive in a few days, and we need his pen ready. He'll stay here until he's grown up a little.

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