Page 111 of Unforgivable

Alpha Jax

"Cloe, put Daan on the phone," I can't help my curt tone. I just feel frustrated. I'm lashing out at Cloe when none of this is her fault.

My son, on the other hand, is very much at fault. How did I raise a cheater? At the peak of my rage, I blamed Lyri Song, deciding that her lies and seductions had to be stopped. She was out of control... but Daan is the one who cheated on his mate.

Now I have Jessi squawking in my ear about 'poor, sweet Cloe,' and I know that I will be expected to help ease Cloe's way back into the pack.

This is why it's a little bit of a problem that I ended Lyri Song's nullavenia status. She'll be able to return to packlands and cause endless grief for Cloe. I'll need to let those males know to keep a lid on their female.

I swear under my breath and punch my desk.

"A-alpha? He's umm... he's not h-here. He's training right now."

I let loose another expletive before I can stop it. Cloe whimpers, and I grit my teeth. She's annoying me on top of everything else going on. My Gamma has decided to leave the pack and return to his birthpack. He's taking his mate and pup with him, of course, and Rebecca was born in this pack. It was a boon to the pack to have her mate choose to stay with her instead of taking her back to his birthpack. He's a great Gamma, trained with the very best at two different packs, and did a short stint in one of the kingdoms across the sea.

He's leaving with crimes unsolved, and I am strapped for wolves to fill his spot. I would make him stay longer, wrap some of this shit up, but not with knowing who his birth pack is. So I let him go back without even finishing out the month.

"Cloe, I need to speak to him. Take the phone to him," I order. I have no patience left.

She sharply inhales, "y-yes Alpha," she simpers quietly.

I wait, drumming my fingers on the desk, listening to the sound of her footfalls and slight pants.

Then I hear my son.

"What the hell, Cloe? How many times do I have to say it! Don't interrupt training!" he snaps at her.

I frown. It seems all's still not well between them.

"It's your dad," she says softly.

"Fuck my life," he groans. My eyebrows shoot up. This is going to be an interesting conversation.

"Dad, hi."

"Daan. You're training?" I want him to know that I heard him yell at his mate, and I do not approve.

"Yeah. My wolf is antsy lately. I guess everything that's happened lately is grating on his nerves." His voice is clipped, short.

"I need two things from you, son." I'll keep it short, too. "One, you will Mark your mate. Two, you will both return by MayDay."

"You already told us that. It's only four weeks away, Dad."

"I am aware of what fucking day it is, Daan," I growl out.

Silence falls over the line. I take a breath, steadying myself, "be back by MayDay and Mark Cloe. Goodbye, Daan."

"Bye Dad," he says cooly.

I grip my phone in my hand so hard that the plastic screen cracks.

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Lyri

Dinner this evening is awkward. Thjis is upset with me, still, for trying to leave. Rhet is distracted. I imagine he's planning and plotting away. Ezra is angry, but I'm not sure why. Inuit is ignoring us all, just staring at his phone chiming with alerts and text messages. He never writes one of his own, though.

Sarj is blissfully unaware of the tension, the joys of being seven. He's a good distraction from the older males, so I let him talk about his class at school.

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