Chapter 25

CHAPTER 25

SEREN

T he car lurches forward with a jolt, tires screeching to a halt. Leon stirs, his tiny body trembling in my arms as I hold him close. Of course Theron does this just when he finally drifted off.

I frown at Theron. He’s rigid, hands gripping the wheel, his jaw set. Something simmers beneath the surface as he looks my way.

What the fuck? I silently mouth at him.

His eyes flicker. “You’re not staying at a hotel. I’m sorry, but it’s not an option.”

My chest tightens as I stare at him, taken aback. “Wow! I thought things might be different now.”

He hurriedly explains, “You don’t understand. A rival alpha...” He pauses briefly, staring out the windshield. “He killed my mother. And Vanessa. He’s been doing everything he can to harm this pack.”

I freeze, the weight of his words settling over me. Luna Marie is gone? “I didn’t know,” I whisper, more to myself than to him.

He nods. His eyes are hard. “He knows you’re my mate. He’s the reason why I couldn’t find you.” His voice is flat, devoid of emotion.

I turn away, my vision blurring. All this time, I thought no one cared to look for me. But now…it shouldn’t change anything.

“I can’t stay at your house, Theron.”

His lips curl just a smidge. “The Blackwood Estate belongs to Leon. It’s his home. It’s safe there.” His voice is gentle, but it holds steely determination.

For Leon, I think. This will allow me to spend more time with him. I nod, and the car starts moving again, back on the familiar route to Blackwood Estate.

As the car rounds the final turn and the iron gates come into view, my stomach tightens into knots. The once-familiar sight now feels like a punch to the gut. I blink hard, forcing myself to look up at the window on top and sigh. I wish I could just take Leon back with me to New York.

While Theron takes care of my luggage, I take my time to look around.

The familiar guard by the gate makes me smile. “Hey Adam, long time no see.”

As I reach out to give him a side hug, he bows. “Welcome back, luna.”

Once again, I’m frozen. I angrily turn to Theron, and he isn’t there. He’s already gotten past the porch with my bags .

“Adam,” I say, trying to control my anger. “I understand you’re following orders, but I’m not your luna. Could you please let the rest of the staff know?”

He looks at me nonplussed, his nose wrinkling. “But Alpha Theron never asked us to call you that. We all know you are our luna, since you brought the alpha back.”

I shake my head, not even wanting to know what that means. “I’m only here for a week, Adam.”

Leon stirs again, his weight heavy in my arms. I need to sit down.

I walk inside the main living quarters to find the place transformed. The furniture is all different. There’s a swing set right inside the main living room. Most exits have been toddler-proofed. There are new decorations everywhere. Not-so-hushed voices and the clatter of dishes drift out of the dining room.

Leon stirs with the noise, waking up with a whine, mumbling “Mama” into my neck. I rub his back, kiss his forehead, and pull him closer to my chest. “Are you hungry?” I ask, remembering how he had such a huge appetite as a baby.

He just hums against my neck, so I head to the dining room. When I get there, I find five staff members behind a fully laden table, crowded with at least twenty dishes. While three stand with their heads lowered, two swiftly start clearing some of the plates.

“She’s not going to like that one,” Theron murmurs at them, adding another plate to the pile being taken away.

“My bacon. ”

Leon announces our arrival to everyone by pointing at one of the plates being carried away. Theron looks at me with wide eyes, raising his hands in a gesture of apology. “The staff wanted to give you a warm welcome back. They’re grateful for your presence.”

There’s an awkward silence until a young woman wearing an embroidered staff apron steps forward. “We weren’t quite sure what you like, so we decided to cover all our bases,” she says with a nervous laugh.

Before she can finish, a voice from the back chimes in, “Yeah, the three of us got a little competition going. The best dish gets a reward from the alpha.”

Theron’s face snaps toward them, eyes wide. “I never promised a reward!”

Leon leans close to my ear and whispers, “Mama, I’m hungry!”

Gauging the situation, I smile at the three cooks before turning to the two men clearing the table. “Well, someone’s about to be very happy. Just leave all the dishes here.”

Theron pulls out the high chair, but Leon whines.

I kiss his cheek, whispering, “Don’t worry. We’re eating together.”

For the next half hour, Leon and I eat from the same plate as I feed him small bites of different things. There’s steak, lamb, venison, and lots of bacon, among other things. Over the last two years, I forgot what meals are like here. The food is mind-blowing.

I make it a point to praise the food, hoping Theron does reward the staff. I’m not able to eat much, since I’m distracted by avoiding Theron’s gaze. The one time I do glance at him, I find him rubbing his eyes.

As I wipe Leon’s face, he lets out a loud burp, then hides his face in my neck, giggling.

“Mama, want to see my fish.”

I’m unable to stifle my yawn, so Theron jumps in to deflect. “They’re all sleeping right now, so you won’t be able to see them. How about we show them to Mama in the morning?”

“And blueberries also?”

“Yes, we’ll eat them tomorrow. But now, you’re off to bed.”

The way he talks to Leon, I realize Theron is quite actively involved in his routine.

I’ve made no effort to talk to Theron, not even to discuss logistics about where exactly I’ll stay. I’m not sure if my old room is available.

As if reading my thoughts, Theron clarifies, “Leon and me sometimes sleep in your room. If you’re not comfortable there…”

The information hits me hard. He’s been sleeping in my room? My room ? Why? Does his room remind him of Vanessa?

I shake my head and smile at Leon. “We can sleep there. Right, Leon? Want to cuddle with me?”

Without waiting for Theron’s reaction, I make my way through what was once a dimly lit, imposing staircase. Now, bathed in warm light and adorned with a vibrant Jungle Book mural, it feels homey and whimsical. Strangely, I don’t feel out of place .

It would be an understatement to say my room looks lived in. Everything is the same, just slightly faded. A few pieces of furniture have been moved around. The bed is now by the window. There’s a Christmas tree in one corner with ornaments still hanging on it, even though it’s June.

A heaviness settles in my chest. Has Theron been staying here this whole time?

As Leon and I settle into bed, he squeals, “Mama, look, Simba.”

On the ceiling is a mural of my son’s favorite animated character. “It’s beautiful,” I whisper. I pull him into my arms and switch off the light.

The room is the same. Everything is. But it’s also different.

I eventually fall asleep to Leon’s soft snores.

Sometime in the middle of the night, Leon wakes up with a jerk and starts crying. I immediately turn the lights on and pull him into my arms.

“It’s okay, Leon,” I whisper, rocking him gently. “You’re safe. Mama’s right here.” I kiss his forehead, hoping to calm his stuttering sobs.

A second later, Theron bolts in as if he was waiting right outside.

If he came to comfort Leon, he makes no move to get to him. Standing by the door, he watches us while I slowly tuck Leon in again.

He doesn’t say a word, and neither do I. I just switch the lights off and pull on the blanket. This time, sleep comes quickly .

I wake up feeling better than I have in years. My son is still in my arms. The morning feels a little warmer than it should. As I try to move, I feel something hard poking into my back. I try to shove it aside, and then I hear a loud moan. The next moment, a heavy arm wraps around me, holding me in place.

My mind goes blank as the deep scent of pine hits me and I realize Theron is behind me, holding me in his arms. I try to move away.

“Mate! Don’t move, please.” His voice is raspy.

I harshly push him away, creating space between us before swinging my legs over the bed and stalking out of the room.

The shameless man follows me instantly.

“Are you kidding me? What the hell was that? I’m here for Leon, and that’s it. You can’t think anything is happening between us. And you definitely can’t just barge into my room like that and get into bed with me!”

As I keep railing at him, he wordlessly stares at the ground, his silence only fueling my frustration.

“At least, say something!”

When he finally looks up, his eyes are black instead of blue, and I realize it’s Titan.

His face is a picture of anguish, his eyes red-rimmed. “I heard Leon whimpering again. I was right outside the door, so I had to go in. Maybe I should’ve woken you up, but I’m just so used to helping him…and you were sleeping so peacefully. He kept crying. I was only soothing him to sleep. I don’t know when I fell asleep, but I swear I kept him between us. I don’t know when he moved to the other side.”

Looking away, he whispers, “He must’ve felt hot. ”

His words ring true and as our eyes meet, I feel the weight of what I was accusing him of.

“I’m sorry about what just happened, but I’d never touch you without your consent. Please, believe me.”

I feel immense sadness oozing out of him, and the familiar guilt pricks me. Titan is just the collateral damage of Theron’s actions.

I feel bad. Just for the wolf, though.

Forgetting everything, I pull him into my arms, just for a moment. “I’m so sorry. I should’ve known you wouldn’t do that.”

His hands stay by his sides, and guilt floods me.

“You and Theron both have been with others. I never have. And I never will. You’re my mate. I love you. I would never hurt you.”

My heart drops to my stomach and I close my eyes. A strange heat burns my insides as those words echo in my head. I feel like I’m choking as I recall the way Titan treated me all those years ago. To know he never betrayed me makes me realize it’s me who has betrayed him, because of my anger toward Theron.

Suddenly, I don’t feel good. Wanting to make things right, I slowly pull away. “Titan, I…”

Titan grabs my chin, gently tilting it up so I meet his gaze. “Don’t force it, my little mate. You of all people know how complicated this is.”

He smiles at me before striding away, and my eyes prick with tears as I stand there, processing what just happened .

As I eventually walk back into the room, I find Leon kicking about in his sleep, whimpering. There’s a big wet patch in the middle of the bed.

Taking a deep breath, I decide to push everything else out of my mind and focus on Leon. I gently scoop him up in my arms, waking him with kisses, rubbing his back, and whispering things to ease him.

While one of the staff clears the bed and puts the mattress away, I bathe Leon, just the way I used to in New York. I find a few cute yellow ducks on the side of the tub and we spend half an hour in the water.

I wonder if going back to New York makes sense. I decide it doesn’t, at least not for a while. But if I’m going to stay here, I need a few things sorted. If I’m living here, it has to be on my terms, and I need to make sure it can work for me. So, I start making a list of things I need to do.

Meet Leon’s doctor. Figure out the best ways for me to help him. Maybe look at preschools for him.

Figure out work. How long would Cushman & Sedgwick be okay with me working remotely from here? Do I need to find something local instead?

Figure out my own logistics—a decent used car with a car seat, and. a permanent living situation. Blackwood can’t be my permanent home.

Figure out my New York roommate situation with Jane. She was supposed to be moving in with me next week. Would she be okay living alone? And maybe once things are settled here, I could invite her for a little holiday to give her even more space from Gunner.

Check if Ella is available. She could come back as my assistant and Leon’s nanny .

With my list ready, I send a text to Theron.

Can we meet sometime in the evening? I’d like to discuss a few things with you.

I also need to figure out a way to talk to Titan so I can apologize.

My phone rings, and when I see Ethan’s name flashing on the screen, I throw my head back in frustration. I’d completely forgotten about him.