Chapter Twenty-Four River

I didn't have to convince my father to at least let me go back to the hotel to gather up my things. It seemed both he and Michelle had checked in there earlier that morning, anticipating it would take a day or so to find me. However, with their plans suddenly accelerated, we all needed to retrieve our bags before we were ready to go.

When I walked through the door, I saw Sam sitting behind the front desk. He looked up with a smile, waving.

"Hey River! I wanted to let you know that you're–" His gaze fell on my father and Michelle walking in behind me. "Oh… you already know."

I headed to the desk, my head hung low. "I need to check out," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "I… I'm going home."

Sam furrowed his brows. "What about Vince?"

I simply shook my head and repeated, "I'm going home."

He didn't ask questions or push me. I'm sure he knew everything he needed to know from my defeated demeanor alone. Everything was in shambles and my only choice now was to go back home with what little I had left of myself.

"Just leave your key on the table," he said. "I'll collect it when I flip the rooms later." He looked up at my father. "And I'll refund your rooms."

"No need," he replied with a wave of his hand. "Come on, River. I want to get out of this place."

I started to follow him toward the elevator when Sam's fingers gripped my forearm and held me back.

"Are you sure this is what you want to do?" he asked, his voice low. "You'll have to live with this for the rest of your life." He leaned close, his hand on my shoulder. "You'll never see him again."

Tears threatened instantly. "You think I don't know that?" I snapped, pulling my arm away. "I wouldn't do this if I had another choice. But I don't. I never did! And I was stupid and childish to think otherwise."

I pulled myself away and to the elevator. Even with my gaze fixed on the ground, I could feel Sam's eyes on me until the doors closed and the elevator began to move.

"Nosy owner," I heard my father mutter under his breath. He looked over at Michelle. "Get our bags from the rooms and leave the keys behind. I'll help River gather his things and meet you down at the car."

"Of course, Alpha," she replied, her voice just as flat and lifeless as always.

When the doors opened again, we went our separate ways. My father kept close behind me though as I went to my room and began to gather up my things.

"I see you're not much of a cleaner," my father commented as I wandered around the room, gathering up my things that were strewn over every available surface. "No need to worry about that though. That's what servants are for."

I didn't respond. Instead, I just did my best to stuff everything into my duffel bag. I wanted to get out of Shifter Grove as fast as possible. Each passing glance out the window at that small town made my heart ache even more. It felt as if someone were driving a stake into my chest, grinding it deeper and deeper to reassure me of the lifetime of pain and regret I was about to experience .

It felt like there was no way out.

But that's when I heard a voice echo down the hall outside.

"River!"

It was getting closer.

"River?!"

A figure skidded to a halt in my doorway. It took a moment for my heart to believe my eyes. But I couldn't deny that tousled brown hair, those deep green eyes, and that olive skin I loved so much.

"Vince…" I gasped.

"I thought we told you to fuck off?" my father cut in, stepping between us. "River is leaving with me and that's final."

"No he's not," Vince snarled, stepping up to him without fear. He looked at me over my father's shoulder. "I got your letter. I'm sorry."

Tears welled up in my eyes. "It's okay… you d-didn't know… I-I should have told you."

"If you know what's good for you," my father growled, putting himself between us again. "You'll go back to your hotel and stay away from my son. He knows what he has to do, what he was born to do. And that doesn't include you."

"I'm not scared of you," Vince snarled back. "If you attack me, you'll have an entire town of rogues on your doorstep. We may not be a pack, but we are family."

My father huffed, knowing that Vince had called his bluff. "Fine." Reaching inside his jacket, he produced his checkbook and his pen. "What will it take for you to go away? Permanently ."

"You can't buy me."

"Oh, I assure you I can." He beckoned Vince forward. "What number am I putting down here? Name it."

"Give River his inheritance and his freedom," Vince replied coolly. "That's my price."

I felt my father bristle with annoyance. I could tell he wanted to rip Vince's throat out. If we'd been anywhere else, especially on pack land, he might've done it. But out here in the middle of a city full of rogues, he didn't dare.

"That's not on the table."

"Then I guess you can't afford me."

"I'm warning you, boy–"

"That's enough," I heard from the hall.

Sam stepped into the doorway, a baseball bat in one hand. He looked more menacing than I thought possible. What had once been the smiling, almost too cheery hotel owner was now a terrifying visage of wolf and man. For the first time I saw rage in his eyes. He might not have been an Alpha, but he was intimidating nonetheless.

"Are you okay, River?" he asked, looking past the other two.

I nodded. "I'm fine."

"Do you want to stay here?"

I stood there for a long moment, looking between my father and Vince. What I wanted was clear. But finding the courage to say it felt impossible. However, as I locked my gaze on Vince's beautiful green eyes, I felt my chest fill with heat. The wolf inside me swelled, the Alpha in my blood boiling to the surface. In an instant I felt my eyes shift and I let my wolf join my human side, the pair converging for the first time.

"I'm staying here," I said, my voice deeper and more confident than I'd ever heard it before. "I'm staying with Vince."

"Good," Sam smiled. He patted the bat against his hand, looking up at my father. "Now I think it's time you got the fuck out of my hotel. I've already called the other rogues and I don't think you wanna be here when they all show up. You might be an Alpha, but I've got at least ten other Alpha's on speed dial."

Vince ducked around my father as he stared at Sam. Jogging over, he fell into my arms with a muffled cry. All at once my body lit up and I took a deep breath for the first time since that morning. The moment he touched me I knew I'd made the right decision. This was where I belonged. Not just at his side as his mate, but as his friend and his partner for life.

"I love you, Carino ," I whispered, squeezing him tight.

"You're making a mistake," my father barked, his voice snapping me out of the intimate moment. "And you're gonna fucking regret it."

"The only thing I regret," I replied coolly. "Is allowing myself to remain under your thumb for so long. But not anymore."

"If you walk away from this now, you'll never step foot back in pack territory or my house again!" my father yelled. "And you can forget about the money!"

My breath caught in my throat and I pushed Vince away. He seemed suddenly worried, his sad eyes looking up at me. He nodded slowly, understanding what I had to do without me ever saying a word. I let go of his hand, turned around, and pulled my father into a hug.

"I'm sorry," I said.

"Good." He didn't hug me back. "Now stop this foolishness and let's get out of this town once and for all."

I let go of him, taking a step back and grabbing Vince's hand once more. "I'm sorry you can't accept me for who I am. That our pack can't accept a male pair as their leaders." I fixed my gaze on my father's confused face. "And I'm sorry things have to be this way. But I'm not leaving this place. Vince is my mate . That's worth more than anything you could ever offer me. So my answer is no. I'll be staying here."

"You… You're a fool," my father barked once he found his voice.

"Maybe I am. But I'll be a happy fool. That's more than I can say for you. And, regardless of what you say today," I said, shaking my head. "I love you, Dad. And I hope one day you can get over this and be a part of my life again. Until then, I think it's time for us to stay goodbye."

For a long moment my father stood there, his jaw working as he tried to find the words he so desperately wanted to say. But in the end, he silently turned on his heel, pushed Sam out of the way, and stomped down the hallway. I only heard him bark an order at Michelle, slam a door, and the elevator ding.

With my hand still in Vince's, I pulled him over to the window where I watched the pair of them clamber into the car and drive off, never to be seen again.

"I'm sorry, River," Vince said, his voice low. "I didn't want it to be like this…"

"Don't be," I replied, smiling as I looked down at him. "I'm free now. And I have you. I couldn't ask for anything better."

"I love you, River."

"I love you too, Carino ."

I pulled Vince close, his lips pressing to mine. I kissed him long and deep, savoring the feel of his body against mine and the taste of his tongue on my lips. Nothing was going to tear us apart ever again. We had our entire lives to cherish and enjoy one another. As far as I was concerned, I was the luckiest guy in the entire world. My mate was in my arms and that's how I planned to live my life.

"Ahem."

We both looked up, having completely forgotten that Sam was still standing in the doorway. I felt my cheeks burn, but I didn't pull away from Vince.

"So," Sam smiled, leaning against the bat like a cane. "I assume you'll want your room for a while longer?"

"No," Vince replied before I could get a word out. He looked up at me, placing another kiss on my lips. "He's moving in with me."