Chapter 50
Alec and I drove the hour to the airport infortable silence. It gave me plenty of time to stew in my
anxiety. Not only had I ran away from Alec and Kade, but I had left Tori. Part of me desperately hoped
she would forgive me, but I wouldn’t me her if she couldn’t. After all, she had done nothing but
support me, and I had still left.
Alec and Kade seemed to understand my reasons for leaving, though the pain still echoed in the back
of their minds. I hoped Tori would understand as well. It was a reunion I was both anticipating and
dreading. I hadn’t given much thought to Garrett and how he would feel about my leaving, nor did I
care.
He had gone about everythingpletely wrong. From using me for my future position, to breaking the
news that I wasn’t human. From the very beginning, he had never been a father figure in my life. He
had never wanted to see me, just me as I am. He wanted the werewolf version of me, the version
where I stepped up and took control of his pack. I couldn’t–I wouldn’t go back to that, to being
controlled and used.
“I have one condition if I’m to return.” I cleared my throat.
Alec’s head snapped over, his eyes searching my own. I had his full undivided attention, which I would
have appreciated if it weren’t for the fact that he was driving down the interstate. The intense look in his
eyes made my stomach flutter. I had never captured someone’s full attention before, rendering
everything else useless.
“Name it.” Alec nodded, his eyes flickering back to the road for just a second.
I could feel a slight twinge of worry that bounced around in his head. He was worried he couldn’t fulfill
my condition, that I would make him turn around and bring me back to Beth and Jake. He would, I
knew that much. If I asked, he would turn right around and take me back.
“I’m not living with Garrett.” I shook my head, “Or Melissa and Frank. I’m not going to be used by
anyone ever again.”
“We never nned on bringing you back to them.” Alec shook his head, the corner of his lip turning up
in a smile.
A single dimple appeared on his left side, and I basked in the sight. His eyes had a sly glint in them,
one that made me curious. I could feel his relief at what I said. It swirled around his mind and soothed
the jagged edges of the worry he had been feeling.
“I assume Garrett won’t like that.” I snorted, “Melissa and Frank won’t care. They probably haven’t even
noticed I left.”
“Melissa noticed.” Alec replied in a tight voice, the muscles in his jaw working. His irritation scratched at
the back of my throat, and I wondered what had happened while I was gone. “I’d be surprised if Frank
noticed much of anything. Garrett will not be happy, but his happiness is irrelevant.”
“She noticed? That’s a surprise.” I chuckled dryly. “I do have some things at Garrett’s house that I’ll
need to get back.”
“Kade and I wille with you.” Alec nodded, his eyes softening. “We won’t let you go there alone.”
“Isn’t there any way I could–I don’t know, refuse taking over his pack?” I frowned, “He has another
daughter, she can have the pack.”
“Unfortunately, you can’t.” Alec frowned, “As strange as it sounds, you’re bound to his pack through
blood. You’re bound to our pack through the mate-bond.”
“I don’t want to rule a pack.” I sighed, “I never wanted to.”
“You won’t rule alone, Aurora.” Alec smiled softly, “Kade and I will be there every step of the way. We’ll
help you with it all. That’s what mates are for. I think you’ll surprise yourself. Ruling is in your blood; it
woulde naturally to you.”
“You’ll both help me?” I asked. Somehow the prospect of ruling an entire pack sounded more
reasonable with Alec and Kade. I wouldn’t be expected to do everything alone, to learn everything on
my own whilst being a pawn to Garrett. Alec and Kade had experience, had parents who had once
done the same. If anyone could help me without using me as a pawn, it was Alec and Kade.
“Of course.” Alec smiled; a genuine smile that made the dimple on his left cheek appear. “Our parents
ruled the pack long before Kade and I were born. We grew up learning how to handle it all.”
The words unspoken drifted between Alec and I, bouncing around my head. Any children we might
have, they would also be raised learning how to run a pack. The thought made my stomach twist,
though it wasn’t a bad feeling.
“If you want, we couldbine the two packs.” Alec continued, “It would bepletely up to you.
Instead of watching over two separate packs, they would be one. Our territory would mix with his,
his people would be our people.”
I thought over what he said for a few moments. Out of all the people in my life who tried to manipte
and control me, I had never gotten that feeling from Alec or Kade. My instincts were telling me to trust
them, to rely on them for whatever I needed. Even in the midst of all the confusion in my head, that one
thing was clear. I could trust Alec and Kade with absolutely anything.
“I would like that.” I nodded, giving him a genuine smile.
“Usually the female would be Luna, while the male bes Alpha. You’re the sole heir to your
father’s pack, which makes your future mate the Alpha.” Alec exined, “We wouldn’t take total control
of the pack, it would be the three of us making decisions.”
“I trust you both.” I nodded, and no words had ever felt more right.
Relief washed through Alec like a cool tidal wave, and I smiled to myself as his hand found my own.
His hand was warm as it grasped my own, and I could feel thefort the touch brought to both of us.
We arrived at the airport within the hour, and Alec booked us the earliest flight back home. Back home–
it had never been a home before, but that had changed without my knowledge. I was sure Alec and
Kade could take me to Antarctica and that would quickly be home. Anywhere with Alec and Kade
was home, regardless of who else waited.
“So, you know about my family. Tell me about yours.” I questioned, settling into thefortable seat of
the ne.
Where I had just enough money to book a flight out of town, Alec had paid extra for better seats. I didn’t
want to know how much first-ss tickets were, and I hadn’t asked. I wondered how being an Alpha of
a pack made you wealthy, and I added it to the long list of questions I already had.
A television was bolted into the far wall, ying some soundless talk show. There weren’t many people
in this wing of the ne, just a few lounging back in their own seats. A woman pushing a cart had
stopped at our seats, and I happily took a bottle of soda from her hands. Alec took one for himself,
shing me a smile that made my toes curl.
“We have no other siblings, but we do have quite a few cousins on my Mom’s side.” Alec shrugged,
“Mom and Dad ruled the pack until Kade and I stepped up. Usually, you wait until eighteen to take over,
but Kade and I were ambitious. We took over around a year ago. For the longest time, our parents
didn’t know what to do. Twins are highly unusual for werewolves, even more so for an Alpha and Luna.
They weren’t sure who was going to take over.”
“Werewolves don’t usually have twins?” I asked. It wasn’t amon urrence for human’s, but
sometimes it happened.
“No, never.” Alec chuckled, “Kade and I are the first set of twins born from a Luna and Alpha. Kade’s
older by a minute, so they assumed he would take over as Alpha.”
“Why didn’t he?” I asked, my tone curious.
“Kade and I have always been inseparable. We’ve never fought, and always shared everything–except
for women. ” Alec grinned, “It’s hard to exin, but we were both meant to take over the pack. The fact
that you’re both of our mate’s proves that even further.”
“Do your parents know?” I cleared my throat ufortably, “Do they know about me?”
“No, not yet.” Alec shook his head, a gentle smile ying at his lips. “We’ll have to tell them once we
arrive home. Kade and I will not hide you from anyone. You’re their Luna, they will love you regardless.”
Anxiety churned in my gut as I had yet another reason to worry abouting home. Tori would
inevitably be angry with me, Garrett would continue trying to control me, and I had to meet Alec and
Kade’s parents. Would they react the same way? It was unheard of for two men to share a mate, and
here I was.
“They will love you, Aurora.” Alec smiled softly, his rough hand grasping my chin as he brought my
gaze to his own. “You’re family now. Melissa, Frank, and Garrett can’t reach you anymore.”
Family. That word reverberated in my mind, warming my insides and soothing my fear. Family had
been something I always wanted. My Grandma was family, though my time with her was brief. MelissaCopyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.
and Frank were the farthest thing from family. Even Sage, in a way, felt like family. I held a connection
with her that went far beyond blood ties or friendship. Sage and I were the same, and my soul
recognized that as much as it recognized Alec and Kade.
I could feel the truth of Alec’s words circling my heart, and felt a sense of relief I hadn’t experienced in
many years. I was no longer stuck in a miserable, inescapable situation. I didn’t have to run or hide
myself from anyone.
High on the sense of freedom I never had before, I leaned over and ced my lips against Alec’s. His
surprise was tart like a lemon, followed by happiness so sweet, I pressed myself closer. This time Alec
took control, his lips moving against my own with such tenderness. His hands cupped my face, drawing
me closer. I smiled as his teeth nipped at my lip, gasping when his tongue followed suit. We pulled
away when our lungs burned, begging for oxygen.
Alec’s eyes were blown wide, awe bleeding through his gaze as he looked at my flushed cheeks and
swollen lips. His hands remained on my face, tracing gentle circles along my cheeks and jaw.
“Now you owe Kade two.” Alec chuckled, earning a genuine smile in return.