Chapter 24

CHAPTER 24

THERON

E very inch of my body feels alive. I feel like I can breathe better. There’s a hope that maybe things will be okay.

“More coffee for you, miss?” the stewardess politely asks Seren.

The woman turns to me with the pot after refilling Seren’s cup, but I wave her away, smiling. I don’t think I need a bigger pick-me-up for life. Seren sitting next to me on my private jet as we make our way back home is enough.

A strong, sudden jolt in the aircraft breaks my thoughts. Seren’s coffee cup flips over, the liquid spilling all over her table. Thankfully Seren’s unharmed. I grab a box of tissues and mop up her table before the hot liquid can drip on her.

Just as I’m about to call the stewardess over, the plane shakes again. This time it’s harder and doesn’t show any sign of stopping.

“Relax, it’s just turbulence,” I say gently, placing my hand on top of hers, hoping she doesn’t take this as a sign of how her time at Mammoth Lakes is going to be.

“Wow! Thanks for stating the obvious,” she snaps, her voice strained. She pulls her hand away, adding with a hint of sarcasm, “Why don’t you try stand-up?”

Her sharp comment makes me smile. “Touché.”

The plane shudders again, even harder this time, and she gasps. The captain announces we’ve hit some unexpected poor weather that will probably last for at least another hour.

Before the announcement is over, one of Seren’s cold, clammy hands grips mine.

Titan and I hold back a smile. “Want some peanuts?” I offer, trying to lighten the mood.

Her lips twitch without amusement as she closes her eyes, murmuring under her breath.

I frown. Since when did she get religious?

The turbulence finally eases, and the ride smooths out. Seren’s hand stays wrapped around mine, but her gaze remains fixed straight ahead, her expression a strained attempt at calm.

I’m actually grateful for the bad weather. It’s given me a chance to savor her touch, something I haven’t felt in years. I know the moment she realizes her hand is still around mine, she won’t waste a second pulling it away.

While she shuts the window and stares at the blank wall, I study her. Like always, she doesn’t wear a lot of jewellery, but there’s a pair of dainty earrings mostly covered by her hair, complimented by an elegant necklace. Her choice of clothes also seems intentional. The singlet under her jacket shows off her soft curves. Her skirt is shorter than I’ve ever seen her wear, and the boots beneath it seem more sophisticated than anything she used to wear. And the most distracting feature—her plump lips—looks bright and utterly kissable.

She looks gorgeous and completely put together, but her face is stony. The softness that used to ooze out of her seems lost. I can’t help but think how different she is from the girl I once knew—the one who used to look at me like I hung the moon.

I’m flat on my back, watching this girl twist her hair up behind her head, tying it in a knot as she continues to ride me, moaning. Her breasts seem a lot bigger than the last time I saw her a year ago. I reach out and touch them, fondling them, but they feel much firmer than they should be. Is this what fake ones feel like?

When I try to pull her down so I can take one in my mouth, she pushes me back and places her palms on my shoulders before bouncing on me harder, clenching around me.

Her breasts now hang right above my face, and I notice the faint scars on their undersides. I frown and look away, out the window.

The rain is pounding hard against the glass. It’s a crazy night to be out. Maybe I’ll let this girl stay over in one of the guest rooms instead of sending her back to her cousin’s house. I don’t want her to fall ill during her short trip to the rest of our pack. I can’t afford unnecessary attention on me.

Suddenly, my eyes widen.

Fuck! Seren.

I push the girl off me, get rid of the condom, and throw on a pair of boxer shorts before racing to the gardens behind the estate.

The sight of Seren, hunched over the log and drenched to the bone, sends a sharp pang of guilt through me. How the hell could I have forgotten that I was supposed to meet her here tonight? Before the guilt can settle in, anger surges, masking my shame as I reach the log.

“What are you doing here?” I roar, my voice harsh in the night air. “Why didn’t you go inside when it started raining? Can’t you use your brain?”

Seren looks up, her face pale and her eyes brimming with unshed tears, and I feel like a horrible monster. But she always makes me feel like this. It’s all her fault.

Grabbing her arms, I grit my teeth. “Why do you always wait for me? It can’t be my responsibility to entertain you every hour of the day. Why can’t you just fucking stay indoors? Go hide somewhere. Make new friends. I don’t know.”

“Do you not want me to wait for you?” The way her voice cracks, I sense I’ve said something wrong again.

That single question had jolted me right to my toes that night but as always, I had brushed it off, thinking the possibility of us being together was less than zero.

I steal a glance at Seren’s profile. Her lips are pressed into a thin line, her jaw clenched—a look that eerily reminds me of the moment she stood up to me in front of that man she brought home. The tension on her face was unmistakable as she tried to protect him from me.

The pain of seeing your mate in someone else’s arms is unbearable. My vision had gone red as Titan roared within me, wanting to shift, tear him apart, rip his tongue out. But I didn’t move a muscle. For her sake .

I couldn’t bear to look at him. I needed him to be far away from her.

Knowing she hadn’t waited for me these two years had hit me hard. I know I deserve it, but has she erased all her feelings for me? Is she in love with that guy?

The sight of her protecting him had me howling. My mate cared about someone else more than me. As my palms start getting cold again, Titan’s whispers echo in my mind, urging me to be honest and show true remorse . “Show her you’ve changed,” he advises me. “You’ve got to earn her forgiveness.”

It’s another ten minutes before the pilot announces we’re past the turbulence and will be landing in half an hour. As we near our final descent, I sense Seren’s distress growing.

Out of nowhere, she asks, “Does he hate me for leaving him?”

So this is what’s been on her mind?

I offer her a soft smile, wanting to ease her worry. “He asks about you every single day. There’s not been a night where he hasn’t woken up crying, reaching out for you. He doesn’t hate you, Seren. He loves you. He’s just waiting for you.”

She looks as if she can’t believe me, so I offer her a little more detail.

“He easily gets angry, afraid, or completely detached. The doctor says it’s a function of his separation anxiety—a coping mechanism. But right now he’s really excited about the blueberry patch we planted together for you.”

I try telling her multiple times that he won’t reject her, but I can tell she’s not convinced.

As we drive over to Luke and Pema’s, Seren wrings her hands several times, staring out the window. Lana had texted me that they were all there for a barbecue, and right now the kids are watching a movie together.

When we arrive outside Luke’s home, Seren’s eyes are already misted with tears. She hesitates to leave the car, and slowly her body starts shaking. I understand her guilt. It’s something that lived in me these last few years.

“Should I bring him over so you guys can meet here?” I ask softly.

She nods, her voice trembling. “Yeah, okay. I’ll wait here.”

I find Leon asleep beside Luke’s twins. I try to be gentle as I scoop him up, but the little devil awakens and starts howling, waking the other two as well.

I offer a quick apology to Pema as I walk out the door. Seren is standing beside the car, her eyes fixed on us.

Leon immediately stops wailing, his eyes widening as he takes in the sight of his mother after a year apart. “Mama?” he asks softly.

Seren chokes back a sob. “Yes, my little love. Have you forgotten me already?”

As she leans in to say hello to him, Leon doesn’t kick or fight, but he turns his face away from her. His face flushes red, his hair falling over his face to hide his tears.

Seren reaches for him, but he resists, trying to pull away. She wraps her arms around him, murmuring “I’m sorry” over and over as she holds him close.

He eventually gives in and clings to her tightly. Seren continues to whisper sweet apologies and kisses his face repeatedly, her own tears mingling with his. Leon eventually falls asleep in her arms, exhausted and comforted .

As we drive up to the imposing Blackwood Estate, Seren’s face shows a flicker of unease. “Does Leon have any half-siblings?” she asks cautiously.

I chuckle, surprised by her question. “Unless you’ve got another secret kid stashed away somewhere, not yet.”

She narrows her eyes at me and gives me a disgusted look.

Still nestled in Seren’s arms, Leon wakes up and rubs her cheek, nuzzling his face in her neck as if making sure she’s real.

“What happened to your clothes, my little lion?” she asks him softly.

He nuzzles deeper into her neck. “They hurt.”

Seren pulls him close and blows a loud raspberry on his cheek. Leon giggles. She does it again and the giggles turn into laughs. As they share their moment, Leon suddenly reaches out to touch my cheek with a smile before turning back to Seren.

My insides light up. It’s the first time he’s ever reached out to me without wanting anything. I know he realizes I’m what brought his mama back.

I pull both Seren and Leon into a gentle hug, feeling a glimmer of hope as Seren doesn’t pull away.

That’s a good first step, I think, letting a small smile touch my lips as I savor this fragile moment of connection.