Page 47 of Alpha's Redemption

Once through the doors, we move into a room with a huge oval mahogany desk and I take a seat next to Everly, who’s clutching the pink folder.

The accountants start chatting amongst themselves and going over paperwork, but my father has a silly smirk on his face as he stares at Everly. Turning slightly in my chair, I see Everly's eyes go to his and her lips part.

“You know?” she asks, and he nods once.

“Honestly, it is something Valarie would have done,” he chuckles, and the room falls silent as everyone looks between my father and Everly. The door swings open, and Everly shrinks down in her seat as her accountant walks in.

“Joseph,” my father says in acknowledgment. My eyes narrow at my father, and Joseph smiles and sits next to Everly. He squeezes her hand. I have no idea who he is, but she said he would be here.

“Joseph, this is Valen,” Everly says.

He nods. “Nice to meet you. Your mother was a wonderful woman,” he says.

“You knew my mother?”

“Yes. I was her lawyer. Everly kept me on after she passed,” he says, and I swallow, trying to figure out what’s going on.

All the accountants start talking, trying to find the best approach to deal with Alpha John's pack. It’s now technically mine and Everly's, but Everly doesn't want to take control form him completely, which shocks me. Instead, her father will continue running things.

“You still want me to run the pack?” John asks.

“Yes. You're Nightshade pack; you know them. I have my hotel and Luna stuff. I may be their Alpha now, but it's still your home.”

“What's the catch?” John asks.

“For starters, no gambling. And you don't handle finances; Joseph will. And you answer to Valen now,” she says, and my eyebrows raise. The room falls silent—you could hear a pin drop it’s so quiet. Everyone looks at John, waiting to see what he says. Our packs have been rivals for decades and I don't expect him to agree.

“Okay, but can we please see Valarian? Claire has been asking every day, and Everly won't bring him to see us unless you say so,” John tells me, and Everly looks at me.

I know she’s trying to make up for not telling me about the pregnancy by letting me decide that, but I know she secretly wants her parents in her life. Despite having their differences, she still loves them. Everly is just no longer a child and has no problem cutting people out of her life now—she doesn't have time for bullshit.

“You want this?” I ask her, and she nods.

‘Valen, they are her parents,’Dad mind-links. I sigh and nod.

“Fine. But, if Valarian doesn't want anything to do with you, you won't force a relationship with my son or our babies,” I tell him, and he nods and lets out a breath, then gasps.

“Wait! Babies?! As in more than one?!” John blurts, and I pale. We were trying to keep that on the down-low for now.

“Yes, Dad. I’m having triplets,” Everly admits. John gapes at her before gathering himself like he’s doing the math in his head on the diaper changes.

“Can I tell your mother? She’s going to love this. More grandbabies—she’ll be so excited,” John says, seemingly quite happy about this information. “Yes! Yes. I agree to your terms,” John says.

I raise an eyebrow at his enthusiasm and my father mind-links me again a second later; he probably saw the look on my face—I was about to demand the reason for his sudden change of heart toward his daughter.

‘Valen, leave it,’Dad says.

‘What?! He wants to pick and choose whose kid's lives he’ll be in? Where was the bastard when Valarian was born?’I tell my father, watching John.

‘No. I get it.’Dad says.

‘Get what?!’I snap through the link. Everly looks over at me, probably feeling my sudden anger.

‘He is trying to make up for his mistakes. He can't go back in time to fix things with his daughter, but he can try to fix things with your kids—just like I am doing with you and Everly. That is what I get, Valen. That’s all I get. You don't have to trust him straight off, but let him try. Everly is a smart girl; she isn't the kind of person that will let someone hurt her twice,”Dad says.

I feel Everly squeeze my hand under the table. I nod to my father and he turns his attention back to the accountants.

Dad bought a few of the businesses himself—those he thought would be suitable investments—to get rid of some of the debts, and a bunch are going to be put up for sale. But Everly makes it clear they’re not to be pack bought, and will only sell to individual pack members or any of the rogues. Yet that still leaves the debt to Nixon and also a backlog of debt from pack loans. Some I will sort out, but John really buried the pack deep and was stupid enough to take out loans from human banks out of state, which will be the biggest issue.

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