Page 13

“Oh fuck, who called the Alpha?” one of my mates hissed.

“I asked for our driver to get you gits home,” I admitted as they all tried to stand and be respectful.

“You’re fine, lads,” Da forgave, greeting each of them with smiles. “Thanks for taking Ha-joon out in his rare free time. He’s needed a taste of home and his mates.” He smiled at me. “Make sure they have your mum’s number if they need to use the warlock we’ve hired.” He nodded when my mouth dropped open. “We’ll make it happen.

“I know your dream has always been ASH, Ha-joon. We just worry, and your mates visiting will help you settle there.” He looked over at my mates again. “So anytime you want to visit my boy, we’ll get you there and home.” He nodded as they allthanked him and asked about the tab. He chuckled when they argued who was going to pay for Russ’s night. “I got it.”

“Da, I didn’t call you here for this,” I argued.

“Ya didn’t call me here at all, just asked for the driver,” he reminded me.

Oh, ouch.

“Well, now we gotta have one with the Alpha since he’ll drink with us,” Russ said with a big happy grin. “Never had a drink with ya, Alpha. This is a celebration now.”

I shot him a grateful look and we pulled up a chair for my father. It was a good moment, and I managed to grab the tab before he could, thanking him for coming and hanging out with us duffers. He nodded, but I decided to not leave it alone and brought it up later when we were alone.

There had been too many in our party for just the driver, so he took most of them and Da dropped off a few so it was just him and me at the end.

“Da, I don’t—”

“It’s fine, Ha-joon,” he interrupted, clearly knowing where my head was. “I shouldn’t have been petty that I had to invite myself to go out with your mates. Your brothers make a point to invite me—”

“They do?” I couldn’t hide my shock which made him frown. I swore under my breath. “Those fucking gits. They always tell me to leave you alone and you don’t have time for all our petty wants when you have the lives of so many on you. And they go out drinking with ya?”

He let out a slow breath. “I’m sorry they bullied ya that way too, but I’m glad to hear that’s the disconnect.”

I sighed. “It’s not just that, Da. My mates—we’re all the youngest with issues like I have with my siblings. We’re the misfits. That’s not the crew the Alpha hangs out with.”

He blinked at me for a moment before focusing back on the road… And then burst out laughing. The full laugh my father very rarely let out. It took him a few minutes to calm down. “Misfits? You lot are some of the most successful pups in the pack. Who the fuck has been telling you that…” He instantly lost his amusement.

Yeah, our families had been the ones to tell us that we were misfits.

“But it’s also that we’re rowdy, and you get enough of that, Da. That’s not who I would want you to spend time with to know more about my life.”

“I’m missing you,” he admitted.

That was fair. I was drunk after all. “Ya Alpha of London, Da. Come have dinner and cigars with Dr. Carpenter and Dr. James. Dr. Bass too. She knows a lot about wine and—that’s your speed. That’s your own mates.”

He shot me a look of love which surprised me. “Oh, lad, your heart is pure and I feel loved. But that’s who I have to be as the Alpha of London. I miss the days of getting rowdy at the pub and getting into a bit of trouble.”

I reached over and squeezed his shoulder. “Then we’ll get pissed with some of the attendings where they won’t care that you’re the Alpha, Da. I’ll set up a poker night at the condo and we can just have some fun.” I felt relieved when I saw the interest in his eyes.

Maybe there was a way to balance a better relationship with my family and what I needed now that I was living far away?

That would be nice.

Really nice.

4

Ellie

If he had gone silent for the weekend, I would have understood. Ifullyunderstood taking a weekend and sorting out your feelings and trying to wrap your head around too much.

I’d done it.

I’d done it tohimeven. Fine, it was Sunday to Tuesday or whatever, but I understood that.