Chapter 0108
Cara’s POV
+25 BONUS
I suddenly feel overwhelmingly tired of all the charades, of all the attempts to keep Ethan a secret from Alaric. I can keep this up no longer I can hide my child no longer.
If Alaric hadn’t known for certain about my two children by now, after the science competition, then he surely would know about Ethan after this interaction.
There is no stopping it.
I won’t tell him about the children’s parentage, but I cannot deny their existence any longer. After all, here the boy is right in front of Alaric.
“Yes,” I say simply and confidently. I grab my son’s little hand and look Alaric squarely in the eyes. “This is 1 son, Mia’s older brother. Is there a problem with that?”
When Alaric doesn’t respond immediately, I tum on my heel, pulling Ethan with me.
I don’t bother to look back at the man left standing in the hallway, at the Alpha King behind
- me.
Behind me is only the past. Nothing more.
But I’m done with that now. I’m moving on.
I have moved on.
For myself and my children, I’m looking only towards the future.
And I see them there, just in front of me in the hospital lobby. My brothers Aidan and are there, waiting with my daughter Mia. They’re all waiting for Ethan and me, and I realize how far I have come since I left Pack DarkWood.
Ryan
I have a family now. I have a new life now. I have joy and warmth and contentment and happiness and all the good things that life has to offer.
I walk quickly towards my family, almost running to them. I’m moving towards my present, towards my future.
And I don’t look back.
www
John’s POV
After I finish handing off that mean old elderly nurse to one of my assistants, I return back to my Alpha King. I find him in the hallway of the hospital, right where I left him. It seems he hasn’t moved.
I arrive just in time to watch as Cara leaves, walking away from the Alpha King with the little black–haired boy in tow. I realize it’s the same boy from the science competition. He was the champion of the event, as I recall.
When Cara turns her back on him, I see Alaric reach his arm out, like he’s going to stop her. I know he can’t help himself. It looks like a reflex, like an unconscious movement brought about by whatever connection Alaric and Cara so obviously seem to share.
Not that it’s obvious to Alaric.
But Alaric pauses, and he doesn’t stop her.
I notice where Alaric’s eyes see what’s beyond her. It’s her family, some of the Auburn brothers are here to greet her.
The family embraces one another, hugging and smiling and laughing. It’s the perfect picture of familial joy and warmth.
And Alaric is so obviously left on the outside, watching from far away.
He holds his hand in the air, like he’s been transfixed by some spell, frozen in time. Frozen
in the past, it seems.
He quietly drops his hand and watches the scene of the happy family.
I’ve always respected my Alpha King. He’s a strong and thoughtful leader. His father trained him well for the Alpha King position.
Before he promoted me to Beta, I was Alaric’s butler. I’ve known him for years.
I was the one to break the news to him about Cara’s accident. I was there to witness the
almost–wedding to Lilia.
And I saw how in the years since, Alaric has slowly withered, never coming close to anything I would call happiness.
But I’m lucky to be counted amongst the few people whom Alaric can trust. He told me as much when he shocked all the nobles and high–borns by promoting me, a humble butler,
to the title of Beta.
I’ve done my best each day to earn the title, to live up to Cara Wilson’s example.
In truth, she is a very hard act to follow. I read all of her notes, taken while she was the Beta of Pack DarkWood. She’s incredibly smart, wise beyond her years. Her ideas are vitally
useful to me even now.
I couldn’t understand at first how she was able to accomplish so much in her days. Even now with my own six years of experience as Beta, I know that there are tasks Cara could still do twice as fast as I can.
- Chapter 0163
Her legacy will remain for years.
That’s why Alaric and I get so upset when pack members ignore the good works Cara has done over the years. She has contributed more to Pack DarkWood than many others could do in a lifetime.
But she has a new pack now. She will go on to do great things elsewhere.
She has moved on and, seemingly, has found peace.
I just wish the same for Alaric. I wish my Alpha King could find his own peace, happiness. It pains me to see him so caught up in the past.
his own
wn true
“Sir?” I ask quietly as I approach the Alpha King, not wanting to startle him.
Though the Auburn family has already left the hospital lobby, Alaric’s eyes are still fixed on the spot where they stood embracing one another. It’s like he’s watching the scene of the happy family over and over again in his mind.
I speak again, trying to break his trance, “What would you like to do, Alpha King, sir? About the Bedfords, I mean?”
Alaric blinks, finally realizing where he is.
“The Bedfords…” he says to himself, voice almost a whisper. Finally, Alaric clears his throat and blinks several times, like he’s rising from a fog.
Alaric looks at me, “Monitor their meetings for now. I want to know who they’re talking to and what about. If they are starting any new rumors, I want to hear about it, understood?” “Yes, sir. Understood, sir.” I tell him respectfully.
Alaric looks back to the spot where Cara stood once more before walking away himself.
He loves her.
I know he loves her.
In fact, probably anyone who bothered to pay attention to the Alpha King could probably tell that he loves her.
Here he is, an Alpha, a King no less, with immense power and wealth. He could do anything, he could have anyone. And yet, he wants to make sure this Bedford family doesn’t start rumors about Cara.
Still trying to protect her, after all this time.
Even when she has explicitly told him not to.
Of course he loves her.
+25 BONUS
- Chapter Oran
But he’s too stubborn to admit it. I doubt he even knows how he feels himself, too caught
up
in foolish pride and confusion.
But knowing him as well as I do, probably better than anyone else other than Cara herself, I can see it plainly.
He loves her.
Unfortunately, I have a sneaking suspicion that Alaric will come to regret his actions. His lack of honesty with himself and with Cara.
One day, he will realize how foolish he’s been. How wrong he was to deny his true feelings, to fail to tell Cara how he feels about her.
Yes, I know that one day he will regret it.
And I fear that that day will come very soon.
