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His eyes looked like mine, and his black hair. He was a mini-version of myself.

“Alana, this is crazy,” muttered the beta, who was clutching the second baby to his chest as he stood trembling on the far side of the room across from me.

“And who are you?” I asked him, annoyed that he was able to spend so much time with the babies while this was my very last and first time seeing my them.

“Oh my god,” said the beta, unable to speak, staring at me like I was some wild animal.

“This is Jay,” said Alana, placing the baby in my arms. I held him upwards to my chest, and he looked at me curiously without crying. My heart felt full and at peace, as I held him while we stared at one another. He would grow up to protect his mother with his soul.

“Hey, little buddy,” I said, trying to keep it together. Tears threatened to fall, but I took a few deep breaths. This was my only chance to see them. “My son.”

As if he understood, he placed his head between my neck and my shoulder, his chin resting atop my shoulder.

“He loves you already,” said Alana.

“Why are you leaving Howl’s Edge?” I asked, my protectiveness kicking in now. I didn’t realize I had that inside me until I held him. “Why can’t you live with me?”

“She’s mated to a pack, in case you forgot,” said the beta. “Plus, you’ll just suck her blood and kill us all.”

I ignored him, keeping my focus on Alana. I couldn’t let him rile me up.

She and the babies were the only ones who mattered to me. Her soft beauty called to me even though I couldn’t have her. My sleepless nights thinking about her was the only thing that soothed me. Or when I took my punishment, all I imagined was her pretty face and the curve of her lips and that I had to go through it to save her.

“He only drinks animal blood,” Alana admonished the beta. “Meet your baby girl June before my alphas get home.”

“Sure, risk the baby’s life,” said the beta sarcastically.

My hackles rose at his words. “I would never hurtmychild.Mybabies, just in case you forgot.”

“What the fuck?” said the beta. “While you were the absentee father, I took care of them. Their mine.”

I gently handed Alana the baby boy. I would’ve punched his brains out by now if he wasn’t holding my baby girl in his arms.

“Who’s this?” said a male voice behind me.

Fuck.

I could tell by the way Alana’s eyes widened I knew her alphas had arrived. I turned slowly to face them. One alpha was huge with gray hair and a beard. Next to him was a younger cleanshaven alpha who looked like he had a temper by the way he was glaring at me.

Chapter 27

Alana

Allofthiswasn’tsupposed to happen. I shut my eyes tight and reopened them, hoping it was all a bad dream.

Lio was going to kill him. It was in an alpha’s nature to protect his family from a threat. And James was the biggest threat of them all.

“Lana, is this the guy?” said Lio, dropping the shopping bags in his hands. Markus followed suit, cracking his knuckles.

“It’s nothing,” I said quickly, stepping over to James’s side. “I invited him here to see his babies before we left Howl’s Edge. I thought it would be a good idea.”

“That’snota good idea,” said Lio.

I could feel the tension in the room rising. The alphas and the vampires need to clash and rip each other’s heads off. Owen was still staring at James in shock, unable to believe an actual vampire was in the room. James looked very uncomfortable being here, his eyes constantly darting to the door.

“I don’t think it’s a good idea to disappear without telling me about my children,” said James, his eyes trained on Lio. Watching his every move. Lio was also sizing him up as they circled one another. “In fact, Alana shouldn’t leave with you at all.”

“It’s for her safety,” said Lio, low growls emanating from his chest. The scent was changing in the room. The scent of war and alpha sweat.