Chapter 29 - Evan

My office has become my second bedroom. I sleep here, eat here, and spend all my time in here. It's been like that since Mia left. Since the day I let her go. I've gone into my bedroom one time, and it smelled so strongly of her that I ran back out. I can't go back in now. Luckily, I had a load of laundry in the dryer, so I've been recycling those same few outfits over and over.

My life has become a routine. I wake up, have a coffee and a muffin, and then start my work. Most of my time is spent staring at the wall and trying not to think about her. But it's hard not to. She's everywhere.

I can't go outside because I don't want the pack to see how weak I've gotten. They've already lost their luna. If they knew that their alpha was in this state, well, it would be a disaster. Someone would come along and challenge me for the position, and even if I managed to win, which isn't likely, someone else would just come along.

Rafe has done a good job leaving me alone, as ordered, but when I hear my front door open, I have a sneaking suspicion that's about to change. Sure enough, not thirty seconds later, he's knocking on my office door. I sigh and stretch my neck, readying myself for a fight.

"I told you that you weren't welcome here!" I shout before he's even opened the office door all the way.

Rafe sticks his head through the door. "Good morning, Evan."

"I told you─"

"To stay out. Yeah, yeah, I know. But listen, this is important."

I groan and bury my face in my hands. When will this man learn that just because he's my brother doesn't mean he gets a free pass to disobey me? I'm in no mood for his shit today.

"Get the fuck out, Rafe. If you have something you need to tell me, then send a messenger. I made myself clear. Leave me alone."

"That just seems like idiocy. I'm right here, Evan."

Did he just call me an idiot? Oh, fuck, no. I may be weakened, but I'm not dead. I'll still give him the ass-kicking of a lifetime.

"Rafe. Leave. Now."

"Oh, quit being such a baby and listen."

"You've got a big fucking mouth, you know that? Get the hell out of my house!"

"What are you gonna do about it, Evan?"

"I should beat you within an inch of your life," I growl.

He holds up a finger and waggles his eyebrows. "But you can't, can you? Because you're weak."

I stand, knocking my chair back and slamming my hands on the desk. "You're crossing the line, Rafe! You don't want to fuck with me right now."

"You know what?" He cocks his head to the side and takes a step backward. "I think I will leave, but first, I'm issuing you a challenge, Evan. You and me, at the lake. We'll find out who the real alpha is, huh?"

My brother throws a wink my way before strolling out the door. I fall back into my desk, reaching out for something to grab. I should've known. Goddamn it, I should've known that Rafe would take this opportunity to challenge me. It's been a long time coming, and I was the idiot who let him see that I was struggling.

I know he'll win. I have no strength, no power. But I can't just turn tail and run, either.

My hands are trembling. My heart is racing. This is all wrong.

I take a deep breath and pull myself together. I'm an alpha. A goddamn alpha, and no matter what, I'll keep that title until my dying day. If today is that day, so be it.

I straighten my shoulders and walk out of my office, past the living room and out the front door. Rafe is already out of sight, which is odd. I expected that he would've stuck around and taunted me the entire way. Instead, he just took off. Maybe he's planning on trying to get the jump on me. It really wouldn't surprise me.

As I walk, I take a good look at everything around me. The forest. The mountain. The lake. Everything is so beautiful. My heart aches at the thought that I won't be around to see it anymore, to smell the fresh air or feel the sunlight on my skin. But I'm okay with it. Living without Mia hasn't been living at all, anyway.

The lake comes into view, and I pause at the edge of the woods, scanning the area. There's no sign of Rafe, which makes no sense. Surely, he would've already made his way here and been waiting.

Just then, a twig snaps, and my attention is drawn to the left, near a big rock. It's him. He's standing there, hands tucked in his pockets, looking like he doesn't have a care in the world.

I take a step toward him and freeze, because there's someone else standing behind him.

"Mia?"

She smiles, and my heart stops. My feet carry me to her without any direction from me. All I can think is, she's here. She's really here. I pull her into my arms and breathe in her scent. God, how I've missed her.

"Are you real?" I murmur, running my fingers through her hair.

"Very real," she says. The sound of her voice is music to my ears.

I cup her face and stare into her eyes. "What are you doing here?"

"Rafe came to get me."

Glancing back at my brother, I narrow my eyes. He must have a death wish. Surely, he knows that bringing Mia here means Ram won't be far behind. I can't believe he would do something so reckless twice. With the same she-wolf, no less.

"Evan."

My name on her lips has me turning my attention back to her, and when she leans up to kiss me, all thoughts of Rafe and Ram fly out the window. That ache in my chest starts to fade, and with every moment that my lips are pressed against hers, I can feel my strength returning.

I pull away reluctantly, resting my forehead against hers. "You have no idea how much I've missed you."

"I have some idea."

"Ram is going to─"

"Not an issue," she interrupts. "We had a chat. Rafe and I kind of ambushed him. It took some convincing, but eventually I was able to make him see that I don't belong in Stardust Hollow anymore. My place is here. With you."

"How did you manage that?"

She grins. "Well, I sort of made a bargain on your behalf. I told him if he lets us live happily ever after, then you would never come after them again. I know you think of Ram as this rough and tough guy who loves fighting, but he's a pretty reasonable alpha once you get to know him."

"He agreed? You can stay?"

She shrugs. "Yeah. And he's a man of his word, so I guess you're stuck with me."

My heart races, and I'm not sure if it's from relief or joy. I'm just glad she's here. She's not going anywhere.

I grab her hands, kissing them one at a time, over and over, just to make sure they're real and this isn't just another dream. "You have no idea how happy I am right now. But are you sure this is what you want? What about your family?"

She takes my face in her hands and kisses me. "Don't you get it? You're my family. You're all I need."

A throat clears, and we look up to see Rafe standing there, smirking.

"Now that we've got that all sorted, are we done here? Can I go now?"

"You did this," I say.

"You didn't think I was actually going to kick my brother while he was down, did you? Come on. I know we've had our differences, but like the lady said, we're family."

"Thank you, Rafe. Really. This means more than you could possibly know."

"Hey, you're welcome. Listen, I'll keep our guards out of the area for a bit. You two... enjoy your reunion. Or whatever. You know."

He leaves us alone, and the moment he's out of earshot, I turn back to my wife and wrap my arms around her. I may never let her out of my reach again. She's here. She came back.

Mia chose me.