Page 32 of Alpha's Redemption

"I'm not abandoning her as you did Mom," I tell him, and he takes a deep breath. He shakes his head.

"Your mother was a spitfire. When my father met her, he told her she would never be good enough for an Alpha—that her status was as low as a dog," he says before laughing and shaking his head.

"You find that funny?" I ask him, shocked he would laugh over that.

"No, Valen. I don't. I always regretted not standing up to him, but what she did next is what makes me laugh," he chuckles.

"What did she do?"

"She slapped him and said ‘No, your son isn't good enough for me. And the only fleabag is the ass-hat standing in front of me’," he says, then laughs.

"Bet Grandpa didn't take that well," I tell him, remembering the old prick. He was nasty right up until he died. Dad looked after him in his old age; he only lasted a year after my grandmother died.

"No, of course not. Yet, I kept sneaking off to see her. And she did whatever she could to make sure he found out about it," Dad chuckles. "She was right, though. I wasn't good enough for her. Your mother was tougher than I was. It wasn't about titles with her. She didn't care I was Alpha, she didn't care who my father was, and she sure as shit didn't care that she pissed him off. She and her pack of rogues turned up to every council meeting, causing havoc. Yet, no matter what she did, she never admitted to anyone that I was her mate," he tells me.

"What do you mean?" I ask.

"She knew it would cost my reputation, and she didn't want to ruin it. Once my father stood down and handed the title over, she hoped I would help her, back her, and claim her."

"Why didn't you?"

"Because I was an idiot. I feared my father. Scared he would do something to her or her parents; and he did. I knew if I claimed her, he would kill her like he did her parents," Dad says, looking down at his hands.

"Did she know it was him?" I ask him.

"I think she suspected it. I never told her, but I don't think I had to. When my father found out she was pregnant, he asked her to get rid of you. He wanted me to marry Stacey Langford, his Beta's daughter." Dad swallows and clears his throat.

“When you were born, she had you at that hotel. She didn't even tell me. I snuck over to see her and found you. Dad had me on a tight leash, even froze all my trust funds, and I hadn't seen her in months. I assumed she got rid of you, but there you were in your crib.

“I couldn't bear to leave and hid there for a few days. Dad came looking for me, of course. I always regretted that—wished I never went there—because he wanted to kill you and her when he found us. He said no rogue would marry his son and taint his reputation. I convinced him to let me take you and say she died," he said.

I’ve never seen him cry, but reliving whatever memory he’s stuck in, I can tell that destroyed him.

"When you took Valarian today, Everly had that same look on her face—sheer panic. I get you're upset, but never keep your son from her. Nothing killed me more than prying you from your mother’s arms and seeing that look on her face, hearing her beg for you back." He shakes his head and wipes his face on the sleeve of his shirt.

"But Dad would have made good on his threat. I knew that, and so did she. So she handed you over. She stopped fighting to protect you. I should have protected you both, but I failed her, and after that, she wouldn't forgive me. She even asked me to kill her and put her out of her misery," he whispers the last part.

"I snuck you to her for visits, but when you started asking for her, I knew I had to stop, and even she said it was too risky. If the media found out, she would be destroyed by my father, and so would I."

"I'm not taking Valarian from Everly, Dad. I would never do that!" I tell him.

"I know. You're better than me, you're a better man, I know that. And I know you won't give up your mate or your kids.”

"Then why tell me this?"

"Because you're angry because she didn't tell you, but what would you have done if you knew?" he asks me.

"Not let her enter the challenge for one," I tell him and he nods.

"Exactly. She should have told you, but I get why she didn't. She reminds me of your mother."

"How so?"

"The fire in her, her will to fight for what's right, no matter the sacrifice to herself. She would sacrifice herself for her people, and that is what a good Luna does; that is what your mother did for you and me and all the rogues when she rallied for them. I burned that fire out of your mother because I wouldn't stand beside her and fight for her. Don't make that mistake, don't extinguish the flames that make her brilliant," he says. Leaning forward, he smoothes Valarian’s hair with his hand.

"She didn't raise him on her own because she wanted to. She did it because she had to. The rogues, to Everly, were all she had, and yet you expect her to give them up and tell you? Knowing she would be forced to stand down? I know you, son. You wouldn't have let her enter, and Everly knew that too."

"Yes, because she is pregnant!" I growled.

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