Chapter 61
JACE
Holy shit. This is actually happening. I held my breath when Aurora hit Aria with the mommy question. Talk about putting someone on the spot. My kid hol no filter and perfect timing as usual.
I watched Aria’s face, my heart hammering against my ribs. What if she’s not ready for this? What if it’s too much too soon? Damn it, Aurora, we should ve talked about this first.
But then Aria’s expression softened into something so pure it made my chest ache.
“If it makes you happy, then yes, I would love to be your mommy,” she said, her voice catching a little.
Aurora burst into tears
–
the happy kind. ‘I asked the Moon Goddess to give me a mommy. She listened!”
‘I’m right here, princess,” Aria promised, pulling Aurora close. ‘I won’t leave you. I promise.”
That’s it. I’m done. My girls together like this? Forget Alpha composure. I wrapped my arms around both of them, fighting the lump in my throat. “We’re going to be a family. Taking care of each other.”
The moment was fucking perfect. Everything I’d given up hoping for was right here in my arms.
After comforting Aurora, we took her to the Wolf Cub Center. She skipped ahead of us, telling everyone who would listen that Aria was her mommy now. The pride in her voice made my chest tighten.
“She’s happy,” Aria whispered, squeezing my hand.
“We all are,” I replied, kissing her temple..
Back at the pack headquarters, we headed directly to my chamber where four elders waited. I gestured for them to remain seated. Something about their expressions told me I wouldn’t like what they had to say.
I sat down and pulled Aria onto my lap. She settled against me perfectly.
“Well, you insisted on this meeting. Explain,” I said, getting straight to the point.
Elder Thorn cleared his throat. “Alpha, do you remember what we told you about the Blood Moon?”
“Yes. We completed our soul binding under it. But Phantom won’t fully awaken until the next full moon.”
Elder Kemp nodded solemnly. “You need the moon’s power. But that’s not why we called you here.”
He turned to Aria. “Aria, you cannot train for the upcoming period.”
I felt her stiffen against me. My defensive reflexes kicked in instantly.
“Elders,” Aria spoke firmly, “I may be the Alpha’s mate, but I’m Gabriel’s trained warrior. I’m not claiming I want to be an official warrior or patrol borders. But I won’t stop training. I’ll stand with Jace to protect our family and pack. Jace knows this.”
Damn right I did. My chest swelled with pride at/her strength.
“Aria is right,” I supported her. “While I always worry about her, I know her abilities exceed most warriors. She’s my mate, but I would never demand she stop training.”
The elders exchanged uncomfortable glances. Something was off.
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Chapter 61
Then Elder Thorn’s wife stepped forward from the shadows. “Alpha, Aria, what these two failed to tell you is that completing a soul binding under the Blood Moon carries a 99% chance of pregnancy. This happens even when one partner is human.”
The room fell silent. I stared at her, stunned. Beside me, Aria had gone completely still.
My mind raced. I’d planned to tell Aria we could use special herbs to prevent pregnancy until she was ready. But now? I watched emotions flicker across her face. Fear? Uncertainty? This wasn’t how it was supposed to happen.
Anger bubbled up inside me. “You’re telling me you not only pushed me to soul bind with my mate to unleash Phantom’s power, but you knew it would likely make her pregnant? And you didn’t tell us? Didn’t give us a choice to make sure we were both ready?”
Elder Kemp shrugged. “We didn’t think it mattered. Moon Shadow Pack still needs an heir.”
My control snapped. “Get out. Now. Stop hiding things from us. And prepare to be removed from your positions. I’m done with this shit you keep pulling. Out!”
“Elder Thorn stays,” I declared, my voice leaving no room for argument. “His decades of service to this pack and his loyalty during the Northern Territory conflict have earned him that right.”
Elder Thorn, the oldest among them with silver hair and weathered features, bowed his head in solemn acknowledgment. Unlike the others, he’d remained silent during the confrontation, his ancient eyes reflecting what seemed like disappointment in his peers.
The rest of the elders scrambled, practically tripping over themselves to escape my wrath. The slamming door punctuated their hasty exit, leaving nothing but sudden, weighted silence in their wake.
When we’re alone with Elder Thorn, I felt my anger soften slightly. I turned to the old wolf. “You knew about this too, didn’t you?”
Elder Thorn nodded slowly. “I did, Alpha. And I urged the council to inform you both properly. They… overruled me.” His voice carried the weight of regret. ‘Some traditions should not be preserved through deception.”
I dismissed Elder Thorn with instructions to begin the process of selecting new council members. My mind was already racing with what I needed to say to Aria, how I could possibly make this right. As the door closed behind the old wolf, I turned to face my mate, feeling more vulnerable than I had in years.
Once we were alone, I dropped to my knees in front of Aria, taking her hands in mine. “I’m sorry, Ria. I never wanted to take away your choices. I’m so, so
sorry.”
Her face remained unreadable. My heart pounded painfully.
‘I love you. If you’re not ready, I won’t force you to continue this pregnancy. Whatever decision you make, I’ll support you.”
The words felt inadequate, but I meant every one. I would never trap her. Not after what Vanessa did to me and Aurora.
Aria was quiet for so long that panic started to set in. Then she squeezed my hands, drawing my attention back to her face.
“Jace, I love you, and I’ll love this baby just as much as I love Aurora. I won’t leave you, Jace. Never. I didn’t expect this so soon, but we’ll face it together.”
Relief crashed through me, but I needed to be sure. “You’re certain you want this?”
She nodded, a small smile forming. “Yes, Alpha. I want this because it’s with you. This belongs to us.”
My throat tightened. “You don’t know what this means to me, Ria. I promise, no matter what, I won’t stop you from training. I’ll always support you.”
She’d given me another chance at a family – something I never thought I’d have after Vanessa abandoned us. Aurora would have a mother who her. And we would have a child of our own. The joy felt almost too much to contain.
inted
Aria tugged me to my feet and led me back to the chair. Once I was seated, she settled onto my lap again.
She took my hand and placed it gently on her stomach. Our baby might already be in here.”
The thought struck me hard. My child. Our child. Growing inside her. I looked into her eyes and saw a reflection of my own wonder there.
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Chapter 61
As we leaned in to kiss, I knew we’d face whatever came next as a family. Together
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