Page 31 of Alpha's Redemption

"Stop it. You’ll see her later," I tell him and lift him higher, hugging him closer.

"Are we going home?" he asks. I fiddle with the key fob and unlock my car as I step into the parking lot.

"Dad! We can't leave Mom!" Valarian sobs, pushing on my shoulders and kicking his legs, forcing me to put him down. I growl when he takes off running back toward the entry.

"Valarian!" I growl while turning around, only to see Everly grab him. She scoops him up in her arms and my father messes his hair as I approach them to take him back again.

"I want to stay with you!" Valarian cries, clinging to her neck as she sets him down.

"I'm not going anywhere, you're just staying at Pop’s for the night with Daddy," she says, wiping his tears. At least she isn't fighting me on this. She pries his fingers from her neck and steers him toward the car with me following closely behind her.

"It's just for tonight?" she asks me as she opens the back door.

Valarian climbs in and I quickly move to buckle him in, making Everly step aside. She touches my back and I look at her over my shoulder—she removes it quickly at the angered look on my face.

After I shut the door, she tries to grab my hand and I fight the urge to shift, instead, growling at her as my aura slips out. She takes a step back, her ass hitting the side of my car.

"You lied to me! Kept it from me!"

"You wouldn't have let me go through with it!" she snaps back as I step closer to her.

"With good reason, too! You didn't just riskyourlife!" I tell her, barely holding myself together.

She goes to defend herself or explain, but I cut her off before she can. "Enough! You're causing a scene and scaring our son," I tell her and she peers down at the window beside her. She swallows and looks back at me.

"You'll bring him back tomorrow?" she says and I clench my jaw. "Valen?"

"I need to go," I tell her, walking off to the driver's side. My father rummages in his pockets and pulls out his keys. He passes them to her.

"I'll talk to him, it will be alright," I hear him tell her and she nods, taking them from him. I climb in my car and Dad jumps in the passenger side before I tear out of the parking lot.

ChapterFifteen

Valen

Dad's place Is like a shrine of my childhood. Even today, he still has my artwork framed on his walls and photos hung or in frames on all the furniture. Growing up, his entire life revolved around raising me, and his house shows that clearly.

Despite having done some horrible things in the past; he loved me, and that much shows.

One thing I love, though, is seeing that some of Valarian's artwork and school stuff also displayed like treasured possessions alongside mine. It’s embarrassing that he kept some of this crap, yet I know it means something to him, despite how crappy my art skills were.

Dad cooked dinner for us, and we watched movies on DVD. Every channel is displaying scenes from the challenge and Valarian doesn’t need to see that or become involved in adult issues, so after the fourth headline, Dad decided to put a movie on.

Later that night, Valarian wouldn't sleep without talking to his mother, so I let him call her. Still, he was restless, tossing and turning on the couch as I rested his head in my lap. I let my head fall back onto the back of the couch, trying to rest. My father had muted the TV, and we were watching it with captions.

"Everly alright?" he asks, and I nod.

"I have Tatum staying with her. He’s outside the door," I tell him, and he nods.

Our argument was broadcast across every TV station. Luckily, no one knew what it was about, and John and Claire were tight-lipped and said ‘no comment’ when interviewed. John even slapped one of the reporters for coming too near.

It was all on display, and assumptions were made, so it will only be a matter of time before they figure it out.

Dad has been quiet most of the night and let me be, though I can tell he’s itching to say something. Turning my head, I look over at him to find him watching Valarian.

"Just say it. I can see it’s eating you up, so out with it," I tell him. Dad sighs and I turn my attention to him.

"Don't make my mistakes," he says, and I roll my eyes.

---